Lubbock man gets 70 years in prison for stabbing two sheriff’s deputies

Miko Butler at the Lubbock County courthouse, April 2023
(Nexstar/Staff)

everythingLubbock.com
by: Caitlyn Rooney, David Ewerz
Posted: Apr 21, 2023 / 10:42 AM CDT
Updated: Apr 21, 2023 / 11:45 AM CDT

LUBBOCK, Texas — A Lubbock man who pleaded guilty to two counts of Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant after he stabbed two deputies with the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced to 70 years in prison on both counts on Friday. They will run concurrently so it’s effectively 70 years total. 

Miko Butler, 31, pleaded guilty on Monday.

An arrest warrant at the time said Butler shoplifted from Walmart, and a deputy working security, Staff Sergeant Samuel Delarosa, followed him out of the store. After another deputy, Constantino Galvez showed up to help arrest him, Butler “pulled out a large folding knife and began to assault the deputies,” court records stated. The deputies had multiple stab wounds. Butler was arrested at the Motel 6 at 66th Street and Interstate 27 a few hours after the stabbing.

In court, Sgt. Delarosa said, “[Butler] was punching me, I realized later that he was stabbing me.” Sgt. Delarosa said he was stabbed in the head, ear, shoulder and arm. Sgt. Delarosa testified that he was watching Butler’s hands and waistline before the attack, and never saw the weapon.

Body camera video was played during the trial. One of the deputies was heard screaming in pain after the stabbing. The other victim, Galvez, testified that he was stabbed while trying to help Sgt. Delarosa. Galvez said he felt a sharp, numbing and burning pain.

“It felt like someone was pouring warm water down my back,” Galvez said. He testified that he felt “angry and pain … several emotions.”

Another witness was a man who was driving with his wife and kids when he noticed a man in distress. The witness testified Butler said some people were after him. The man told Butler to get in the bed of his pickup truck to give him a ride, but Butler got inside the back seat with the man’s children. The witness said he moved his kids to the front seat and noticed that Butler had a knife. The man said he did not tell his wife about the knife until Butler got out of the truck. After the man’s wife saw the news of the stabbing, they called police.

LCSO Lieutenant Jordan Roberts testified that authorities figured out where Butler was after speaking to his grandmother. SWAT was called to the Motel 6, and multiple members of law enforcement took Butler into custody after he was bit by an LCSO canine.

A jailer at the Lubbock County Detention Center testified that Butler told him, “I wish I had a gun, I’d shoot you.”

Delarosa and Galvez both received the Law Enforcement Purple Heart after recovering from the attack.