A Chicago man got six years in prison Wednesday for hurting two law enforcement officers — a situation that needlessly spun out of control when it wasn’t clear why he was being arrested on a nonviolent warrant, his lawyer said.

       Ernest Hoover, 40, would serve four years in the Lake County Jail with the final two years on probation. He pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting law enforcement.

       Two Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched Nov. 23 to the 15000 block of W. 103rd Avenue in Dyer.

       Hoover, who is Black, was on the way to a friend’s house and may have been parked in the wrong driveway. He appeared initially cooperative on bodycam footage.

       A check found he had an 9-year-old active warrant dating from July 14, 2011, for a failure to appear in Lake County Court for a driving while suspended charge.

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       Hoover did “not understand he’s at the wrong house,” Woods said. “Suddenly the officer has handcuffs.”

       He “panicked” because he wasn’t aware of the old warrant, Hoover said in court Wednesday.

       A struggle ensued and Hoover ran back to his running car to try to take off, according to a plea agreement filed July 14, 2021.

       Officer Alex Gallegos, the first who responded, “attempted to remove” Hoover from the car, while Officer Michael Maggi ran up to the other side.

       Hoover backed up, dragging Gallegos, while striking Maggi in the knee, court records said.

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       Gallegos had a laceration on his head that needed stitches and a partial shoulder ligament tear, while both Maggi’s knees were hurt, including a ligament sprain.

       Both deputies testified in court Wednesday that their injuries kept them off work.

       Defense lawyer James Woods said Hoover wasn’t informed of why he was being arrested and asked both deputies if it was dangerous to be reaching into a running car that might soon back up.

       Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jacob Brandewie said Hoover was a danger to society due to past criminal history, which included nine felony and two misdemeanor charges. He asked for 8 years under the plea — four years on each charge.

       Hoover said he had tried to clean up his life and move on after periods of incarceration. He regretted his actions.

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       Judge Natalie Bokota noted he had 41 prior contacts with the criminal justice system.

       “You don’t know why you’re being arrested,” she said. “That can all get worked out later.”

       His behavior was “unacceptable,” she said. Hoover had more arrests than years at 40, Bokota said.

       “This is not the way to live,” she said.

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