Prison Time for Poking Officer in Eye

LUFKIN (AP) � A poke in the eye is worth three years in prison for an Angelina County man. Alex Yanez on Tuesday pleaded guilty to assaulting a public servant for gouging the eye of a Lufkin police officer. A warrant said Yanez, during a June 29 traffic stop, snatched the sunglasses from the face of Officer Brad Lawrence and poked him in the eye as the lawman questioned the suspect over three warrants. Lawrence, who suffered a minor eye injury, managed to arrest the 20-year-old Yanez. He faced up to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony, but accepted the plea deal. Yanez has a criminal history to 2008, including charges of theft, engaging in organized criminal activity and giving a false report to an officer.