MARIETTA, Ga. -- A Marietta man will spend five years in prison after being convicted of punching a police officer.
Gary Dewayne Mullis, 65, was found guilty of one count of obstruction in the Oct. 1, 2012 incident.
The victim, Marietta Police Officer B. Vaughan, testified in court that he approached Mullis at the RaceTrac on South Marietta Parkway near Fairground Street after customers complained that Mullis was asking them for money.
Vaughan said he planned to simply speak to Mullis and possibly cite him for criminal trespass, but Mullis punched him in the face and pulled off his officer's radio and ammunition magazine.
"Cobb County is not going to tolerate your behavior," Cobb County Judge Marsha Lake told Mullis before sentencing him.
Mullis received the maximum sentence because he is a recidivist; prosecutors noted he has five prior felony convictions.
