By Tony Rizzo
The Kansas City Star
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Bradley Don Poland made some egregiously bad choices on April 25.
So bad in fact, that he was lucky to be standing in front of a judge in a Johnson County courtroom Wednesday.
People who drive drunk and pull guns on police officers are not always so fortunate.
But on Wednesday, after serving 170 days in jail, Poland was placed on probation for the incident in April in which an Overland Park police sergeant wrestled a gun from his hand.
Attorneys recommended probation as part of a plea agreement.
“He is very lucky and both he and his family are very grateful for the officer, Sgt. Scott Ferguson, who exercised extreme discretion during the incident,” said Poland’s attorney, John Picerno.
Picerno said that most likely, a shooting in that situation would have been justified.
“No one is tougher on law enforcement than me,” Picerno said. “ I have to say Sgt. Ferguson is a true hero in my book. He is an example of what good policing looks like.”
Poland, 35, of Overland Park, pleaded guilty in August to aggravated assault and battery on a law enforcement officer and driving under the influence.
The incident started when the sergeant was on patrol near 104th and Marty streets when he saw a car driving the wrong way without headlights.
He pulled the car over, but the driver then drove off, almost immediately running into a fire hydrant.
Dash cam video from the sergeant’s patrol car shows what happened next:
The driver can be seen standing and leaning over.
As the sergeant approaches, he asks the driver to show his hands. The man then moves one hand from behind his back and is holding a pistol.
The sergeant grabs the man’s hand and is able to pull the gun away after struggling for several seconds. The man resists the sergeant’s efforts to arrest him until the officer takes him to the ground.
The sergeant suffered minor injuries in the incident.
As part of the plea agreement, Poland must forfeit any firearms, pay a fine, and follow recommendations of a mental health evaluation.
©2017 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)