photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Dustin Parrish

A defendant who was convicted of felony battery against a law enforcement officer has been ordered to serve two years of probation and to pay nearly $2,400 in restitution to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Judge Sally Pokorny sentenced Dustin Parrish on Wednesday to 11 months in prison but suspended that term to 24 months of probation in accordance with the parties’ recommendations. Parrish, who has no criminal history, was also ordered to pay an assortment of court costs in addition to $2,359 to the sheriff’s office. He also must write a letter of apology to Deputy Jared Ellis and serve 20 hours of community service.

“I know I messed up,” Parrish told the court, “but I’ve been working and trying to stay out of trouble.”

Parrish pleaded no contest to the offense in December as part of a plea deal with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, which in turn dropped three other felony counts, including fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, criminal damage to the officer’s patrol car and interference with law enforcement.

All of the charges related to an incident on Sept. 8, 2024. At the plea hearing, then-prosecutor Ricardo Leal said Parrish recklessly caused bodily harm to a sheriff’s deputy while the deputy was engaged in his duties, but he did not provide further details about the incident.