This section is based on data provided to the Northern Valley Press by neighborhood police departments. Due to pending court appearances and other variations, the following information shall be read in “press time” context.
ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—On Jan. 25, police were dispatched to the intersection of West Englewood Avenue and William Street on a report of a serious motor vehicle accident.
Upon arrival, officers located a delivery truck that was overturned. Inside the truck was a 51-year-old Teaneck deliveryman who was unconscious.
Officers dragged the man from the smoking truck that was leaking gasoline and in danger of catching fire. He sustained multiple serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his entire body and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
The second vehicle at the accident scene was severely damaged as well; however, the driver had fled the area on foot. As the license plate search came back on the hit-and-run vehicle and the address of the registered owner of same was broadcast over the police radio, the officers investigating realized the address matched to a location that had just been given out by dispatch for a domestic dispute in progress.
As the first officer arrived at the scene of the domestic dispute, he observed 34-year-old Rameesh Dula, formerly from Englewood and believed to be presently out of Newark, struggling with an adult female in the presence of his two small children. Dula was bleeding profusely and the female, who was also bleeding, began yelling at the police that the vehicle he had just crashed was stolen from her.
Dula was ordered to stop and surrender by the officer, but instead, he grabbed one of his children and used the child as a shield against the approaching officer. In addition, Dula kept reaching towards his pockets despite being ordered not to do so. Dula then dropped the child as other family members physically intervened, but then grabbed the second and even younger child and charged at the lone officer. Fearing for the baby’s safety, the officer stopped his advance and a short standoff ensued until Dula attempted to leave the scene with the baby he was holding.
At that time, a struggle ensued between the officer and Dula, who then released the child from his arms. Dula then began assaulting the officer and placed his hands in his pockets several times. Eventually, a second officer arrived, and when Dula refused to be handcuffed, Dula was tased, handcuffed and arrested.
Both Dula and the female were transported to hospitals for treatment of various non-life-threatening injuries. Neither of the children were injured during the incident.
“The officers were able to use great restraint during this challenging situation and safeguard all that were present,” the city police department said in a statement.
With regard to the initial motor vehicle accident, it was learned by detectives that Dula became involved in a domestic dispute on Washington Place with the female who owned the above vehicle. Dula allegedly assaulted that female, stole her vehicle and sped away from the location. As he was heading eastbound on West Englewood Avenue, he struck the delivery truck, which was also heading eastbound, at the William Street intersection.
Dula was traveling at a high rate of speed when he struck the delivery vehicle in its rear end, causing it to flip over on its roof. Dula, who sustained injuries from the accident, was able to exit the vehicle and make his way back to the Washington Place home where the above mentioned encounter occurred.
Dula was charged with numerous motor vehicle charges, including driving while intoxicated, driving while his license was revoked and leaving the scene of an accident with serious injuries.
He was additionally charged with a range of criminal offenses including two counts of child endangerment, aggravated assault of a police officer, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident with serious injury, causing serious injury while driving with a revoked driver’s license and domestic violence assault.
Dula was subsequently transported to the Bergen County Jail to await a detention hearing in CJP Court.