Hudson Oaks, TX — A Dallas man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison after a Parker County jury convicted him of assaulting a peace officer by dragging a Hudson Oaks police officer through an H-E-B parking lot during a 2025 incident.
Jose Gonzales, 51, was found guilty August 5 of assault on a peace officer and evading arrest in a vehicle.
The jury sentenced Gonzales to 55 years in prison for the assault conviction and 17 years for evading arrest. The sentences will run concurrently.
The convictions stem from an incident in which witnesses reported seeing Gonzales driving erratically before he pulled into an H-E-B parking lot in Hudson Oaks.
When police arrived, officers observed alcoholic beverages in the front seat and believed Gonzales was intoxicated. Officer Hector Velasquez attempted to get Gonzales to place the vehicle in park, but Gonzales accelerated, dragging Velasquez through the parking lot.
Velasquez suffered minor injuries and eventually released his grip on the vehicle. Gonzales fled and was later arrested several miles away after rear-ending a truck stopped at a traffic light.
Authorities said Gonzales had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.22 at the time — nearly three times Texas' legal limit of 0.08.
During the trial, jurors were also presented evidence of Gonzales' prior criminal history, which included 23 previous arrests and convictions for offenses including evading arrest, assault, burglary and theft.
The case also revealed an unusual act of assistance during the incident. After Velasquez was dragged, an unidentified man wearing a cowboy hat reportedly drove the officer's patrol vehicle over to him, allowing Velasquez to quickly continue pursuing Gonzales.
Authorities said the man never sought recognition and remains unidentified. Velasquez said he hopes to someday shake the man's hand and thank him for helping.