CLOSTER, N.J.—A 26-year-old Lodi man was charged with aggravated assault of a police officer and resisting arrest after a Jan. 5 incident inside a High Street residence.
The suspect allegedly antagonized officers responding to a domestic dispute, at one point “squar[ing] himself” and “clenching both fists” in front of Patrolman Luis Ruiz, the officer wrote in an investigation report.
The officer had responded at about 12:26 a.m. to a report of an out-of-control intoxicated male. The officer arrived to find a female party outside of her second floor apartment. She stated her boyfriend had been drinking all night, and had screamed and called her names.
Patrolman Justin Krapels entered the apartment to speak to the man about the verbal dispute, and the man was observed to be highly intoxicated and agitated. Ruiz and Sgt. James Buccola were also at the scene.
The man repeatedly told officers that nothing was going on and that his girlfriend was drunk. He was visibly upset with police being in his apartment, Ruiz wrote.
Officers tried to explain that all they wanted was for him to explain what had happened, asking him to sit, but the man refused to cooperate and kept pacing back in forth, saying he wanted to check on his daughter. Officers told the man his daughter was fine.
The man’s volume dramatically increased and he stated “no one—not even you guys—are going to get between me and my daughter.”
He began walking towards Ruiz, then tried to forcefully get past the patrolman, placing his hands on his chest. He was ordered to step back and sit down.
That’s when he squared and began clenching his fists. He once again walked toward Ruiz, who pushed him back with his right hand to get him off balance. Krapels and Ruiz attempted to arrest the man, who began to get combative.
They had to physically wrestle him to the floor as he grabbed onto the sofa and used it as leverage against the officers. They persisted, wrestling him to the floor, but he flayed his arms and legs, refusing to be handcuffed. Officers managed to place his arms behind his back and handcuff the man, who then demanded to be let go for having done nothing wrong. He cursed the officers, taunting Ruiz that he wasn’t so tough without a badge.
Officers from Haworth and Norwood arrived to assist and the man was led outside, and transported to police headquarters, where he was charged with aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting arrest and domestic violence. The man was later remanded to Bergen County Jail, with charges pending.
