A state prison sentence for an Oil City man that assaulted two state troopers in Deerfield Township will stand.

Mitchell R. Bills had been sentenced to a total of 30 months in state prison by President Judge Maureen Skerda on charges of DUI and aggravated assault.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Pennsylvania State Police responded Aug. 4 to a report of a passed-out male in a running vehicle on Route 27 in Deerfield Township. A trooper reached into the vehicle to open the door, according to the affidavit. “Bills then kicked (the trooper’s) hand in an attempt to keep him from opening the door.”

The trooper told Bills he would be tased if he did not get out, according to police.

As the trooper began to tase him, Bills tried unsuccessfully to take the taser, police said.

“While Bills was being physically removed from the vehicle, Bills kicked (a trooper) in the groin area and punched (another trooper) in the face resulting in laceration over the right eye.”

“Bills continued to fight with troopers and attempted to get back into the truck,” according to the affidavit.

It took multiple taser attempts for troopers to eventually subdue Bills.

His attorney, Charles Rosen, told the court on Thursday that he made a miscalculation on his client’s prior record, which he called “kind of bush league.”

The result was his client faced a longer sentence than he originally anticipated.

“Mr. Bills did spiral,” Rosen said, asking that the total time be reduced to 21 months.

“He has served his year,” he said, citing multiple family challenges his client has been dealing with.

District Attorney Rob Greene said that “almost all defendants seem to have some kind of story.” He said that all people have issues but not all commit crimes.

Rosen told Skerda he had advised Bills that he was likely looking at nine months in prison.

“There was actual injury” to the officers, Skerda said, noting that the sentence was in the middle of the sentencing guidelines “which is appropriate.”

In denying the motion, she said she may have run the DUI time concurrently if it were his first offense but noted it was Bills’ fourth overall DUI.