Sanders pleads not guilty to officer’s death
A bevy of Texarkana, Texas, police officers sat with the widow of slain Officer William Sprague at a pretrial hearing for the man accused of murder in the death.
Justin Sanders, 21, entered a notguilty plea to murder Thursday with the help of First Assistant Public Defender Will Williams at a hearing.
The hearing was before 102nd District Judge Bobby Lockhart in Texarkana’s downtown BiState Justice Building.
The offense is punishable by five to 99 years or life in a Texas prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Sanders was first indicted for aggravated assault on a peace officer. Last month, a second indictment increasing the charge to murder was handed down by a Bowie County grand jury.
Lockhart has tentatively scheduled Sanders’ trial for March 24 in Rockwall County.
Lockhart previously ordered a change of venue in the case because of pretrial publicity and because Sprague was wellknown in the community.
Sanders is accused of leaving the scene after striking Sprague with a silver GMC Acadia about 1 a.m. June 14 at Grady T. Wallace Park in Texarkana, according to records.
About 100 people had gathered in the park when it was closed. Sprague was the first officer to respond to a disturbance call concerning fights among members of the large crowd, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Sprague’s dash camera video shows before the officer was hit, he activated his overhead lights and got out of his squad car to tell someone out of the camera’s view to stop.
Sprague died the following day of head and crush injuries.
Investigators identified Sanders as a suspect based on witness statements and photo identifications of Sanders. Sanders was interviewed at BiState Justice Building the same day.
Sanders allegedly admitted to driving through the park because he heard “something was going down” there but denied striking Sprague with his mother’s SUV.
“The chrome grill on the front of the SUV appeared to be wiped down and had streak marks around most of it,” the affidavit states. “On the hood above the passenger-side headlight were four distinct drag marks in the dust that looked like they were deposited from a hand and fingers.”
Irregular drag marks also were noted on the center of the hood.
“The passenger-side bumper cover was separated from the front right fender. The front right fender well was pulled away from the bumper cover. The front passenger aluminum wheel exhibited a black substance, possibly from Officer Sprague’s duty rig on all five wheel spokes,” the affidavit states. “The front passenger tire had irregular scuff marks around its circumference.”
Sanders is free on bond posted on $150,000 bail. He must wear a leg monitor equipped with GPS technology as a condition of his pretrial freedom.