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Source: Pioneer Press, St.存倉 Paul, Minn.July 19--Eric Hightower was sentenced Thursday to five years probation in the stalking and terroristic threat case that led to his high-profile arrest caught on video that showed him being kicked by a St. Paul police officer.Hightower, 31, was sentenced on his guilty plea to a gross-misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse of his former girlfriend. He had also pleaded guilty to violating a domestic-abuse no-contact order after he was found in a vehicle April 13 with Kara Drew, the former girlfriend he originally was charged with stalking.A bystander's video, posted on YouTube, showed officer Jesse Zilge kick Hightower, 31, in his chest during his arrest last year.Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro credited Hightower with 143 days towards his 18-month sentence for that parole violation."He took a beating already from police for what he's done," Seamus Mahoney, Hightower's defense attorney, said in court.Hightower will be released in late December 2013, then will serve probation, with 21 months of confinement hanging over his head during those five years."I think probation will help me," Hightower told Castro. He said he was receiving anger man自存倉gement counseling.Hightower had admitted he made several threatening calls to Drew. He also stalked Drew and broke several of her house windows, according to a criminal complaint.In exchange for his guilty pleas, prosecutors dropped charges of terroristic threats and criminal damage to property.In addition to the YouTube video, Officer Matthew Gorans dragged Hightower by his hair into the car and pepper-sprayed him in his eyes and ear, according to a squad-car video released by police in response to a Pioneer Press request.Prosecutors who reviewed the case declined to file criminal charges against Gorans or Zilge, but according to sources, Chief Thomas Smith recently decided to fire Gorans and suspend Zilge for 30 days. The discipline isn't final, because the officers are going through the union grievance process. They remain listed as St. Paul police employees.Gorans is suing the city for releasing the video, as is the police union.Marcella Corona can be reached at 651-228-5556. Follow her at twitter.com/Marcella_Anahi.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at www.twincities.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉新蒲崗