Pocatello man who kicked a cop gets rider
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POCATELLO — A man who kicked a Chubbuck police officer during a driving under the influence arrest has been sent on a rider.
Justin Matthew Espinoza, 28, was sentenced to a rider program with an underlying prison sentence of two to seven years by 6th District Judge Robert Naftz at a recent hearing.
A rider program is where a judge sends a person to prison for up to a year to undergo different treatment programs. When the inmate has completed the program, the judge can then decide to send them back to prison or release them on probation.
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Espinoza was arrested in June after attempting to force his way into an Idaho Kidney Center after closing time. Witnesses who spoke to officers said it seemed as though Espinoza was attempting to pay someone with a bank card, perhaps confused that he was at a motel.
Officers pulled Espinoza over in a nearby parking lot. During a traffic stop, Espinoza was unable to provide his insurance or registration.
He was arrested for driving under the influence. During transport, Espinoza began banging his head on the inside of the police cruiser. When officers stopped to assist him, Espinoza began yelling at and kicking the officer.
As part of a plea agreement Espinoza reached with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office, misdemeanors for driving under the influence and resisting arrest were dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea to felony battery on an officer.