Jackson man sentenced to five years

A Jackson man accused of beating his girlfriend and breaking a police officer's nose received five years in prison.

Circuit judge David A. Dolan sentenced Allison Van Brooks on Tuesday for a February attack on Natasha Ribble and the police officer, said Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Morley Swingle. The sentencing took place in Charleston, Mo., where the case was moved on a change of venue.

Brooks pleaded guilty to two counts so prosecutors would drop other charges.

Ribble reported to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department that Brooks slapped her, punched her and struck her in the head with a water bottle. He had pulled her hair, she said, and sought to keep her from leaving by pushing her to the ground and taking her car keys.

Jackson police, accompanied by deputies, went to the home and attempted to arrest Brooks, according to a probable-cause statement. Brooks punched Sgt. Scott Eakers in the nose, breaking it. He also threw officer Chris Green onto a coffee table. An electric stun gun was used several times to subdue Brooks, the statement said.

Jackson police Lt. Rodney Barnes said domestic violence calls are some of the most dangerous for police. The department always sends two officers.

Jackson police are happy with the outcome, Barnes said. "Any time you assault a police officer, that is extremely serious. There is no justification for it whatsoever."