A former Elgin man was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday, June 11, for attempting to disarm a Rochelle police officer as medical personnel were attempting to treat him in 2025.

Oscar F. Pina, 49, pleaded guilty to the Class 2 felony offense as he appeared with his attorney, J.F. Heckinger of Rockford, at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon.

Assistant State’s Attorney Melissa Voss told Judge John “Ben” Roe that Pina had grabbed the holster of a Rochelle police officer’s gun when officers and emergency service workers were called to the 300 block of Fourth Avenue in Rochelle around 4 p.m. March 21, 2025, for a medical issue.

“The officers had responded to a call of a subject in need of medical assistance,” Voss told Roe. “As the defendant was being attended to he became combative and grabbed the officer’s holster despite being told [the officers] were there to help him.”

Pina was originally charged with four additional felonies that included making physical contact of an “insulting or provoking nature” with two EMS workers and aggravated battery to a police officer when he spit blood on one of the officers.

In exchange for Pina’s pleading guilty to the Class 2 felony of attempting to disarm the police officer, the other charges were dismissed through a plea agreement, Voss said.

Roe sentenced Pina to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with credit for five days served. That sentence will be served at 50%, Roe said.

Class 2 felonies are punishable by 3-7 years in prison. Pina will also be subject to one year of mandatory supervised release when released.

A pretrial release assessment indicated that Pina has a criminal history, Roe said.

Roe also ordered Pina to pay fines and costs of $661.48, including $112 in restitution, with payments starting upon his release, which Roe estimated to be February 2028.

Pina was remanded to the Ogle County Jail following the sentencing, where he will remain until assigned to an IDOC facility.