Victim of 2015 Stabbing is Placed on Probation on Firearms Charges

LOWELL _ A 36-year-old Tewksbury man, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder after being stabbed by his then girlfriend's jealous ex-boyfriend two years ago, was given a year's probation for illegal possession of firearms in a domestic-assault related incident.

In Lowell District Court on Tuesday, Matthew Roux, 36, of 6 Boisvert Road, Tewksbury pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and had charges of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition continued without a finding in connection with a July 29, 2016 incident in Tewksbury.

Judge Barbara Pearson placed Roux, a former recruiter for the Salter School in Tewksbury, on probation for one year with conditions that he stay away and have no contact with his former girlfriend, stay on his medications and possession no firearms.

Prosecutor Gabrielle Lomanno explained that Tewksbury police went to Roux's home to execute an arrest warrant on charges of assault and battery on a family member and criminal harassment - subsequent offense in connection with his ex-girlfriend, but Roux wasn't home.

Police subsequently located Roux driving and pulled him over. Police allege that Roux refused an officer's orders to turn off his car and remove the car keys. When officers tried to forcibly remove him from the vehicle, he gripped the steering wheel and then resisted when he was being handcuffed.

After his arrest, the former girlfriend, who lived with Roux, entered the home with police to retrieve her belongings. Police say they found a bag on the couch that contained a rifle, a box of knifes and more than 100 rounds of ammunition. Police say Roux did not have a license for the rifle or ammunition.

In court on Tuesday, Roux's former girlfriend declined to appear in court so the assault and criminal harassment charges were dismissed by a judge.

As for the firearms and resisting arrest charges, Lomanno asked Pearson to impose a sentence of 18 months in jail, with 120 days to serve - deem served - with the balance of the sentence suspended for two years while he is on probation.

"These charges stem from a much bigger incident than what he is pleading to,'' Lomanno told the judge. The former girlfriend has an active restraining order against Roux.

But Roux's attorney explained that his client suffers from PTSD from a Feb. 17, 2015 incident where Tewksbury police were forced to fatally shoot Doug Sparks, 30, of Medford, after he stabbed Roux and his girlfriend (the victim in his alleged domestic-assault case) outside the Salter School in Tewksbury.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan alleges that Sparks approached Roux and his girlfriend, both Salter School employees who had traveled together to work, in the parking lot of the school at 515 Woburn St., around 9 a.m.

An argument ensued and Sparks slashed two tires and broke a window in their car, then stabbed both employees, Ryan said.Ryan said those victims were stabbed in the arms and hands, and that the female victim - with whom Sparks had a prior dating relationship - was dragged through the school's parking lot by Sparks before he fled on foot.

Sparks fled the scene on foot but was found by police just a few blocks from the school. At least one of the officers fired shots when Sparks allegedly brandished what appeared to be a handgun. Sparks was struck once in the chest and once in the neck, killing him. The gun turned out to be a pellet gun, police said.

Ryan said Sparks had "a prior dating relationship" with the female stabbing victim.

After an investigation, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office cleared the Tewksbury officers involved in the shooting of any wrongdoing.

Photo of Matthew Roux by Lisa Redmond/lisa.redmond@patch.com.