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Officer Michael Clifford activated his lights and siren after Xavier Torres, 26, sped through a stop sign on Chase Avenue and made an illegal U-turn in the Kingsland Avenue intersection around 10 p.m. Thursday, Detective Sgt. Vincent Auteri said.
After pulling over and parking, Torres got out of the Jeep Cherokee, along with Jacqueline Feliciano, 34, Union City, Auteri said.
Both began walking away, ignoring Clifford’s orders to stop, he said.
Clifford confronted the pair and immediately noticed that Torres was intoxicated, Auteri said.
Told he would have to take a sobriety test, Torres became combative, continuing to curse and scream, as Officer Nicholas Abruscato and Acting Sgt. Phil Reina arrived, the sergeant said.
Torres became more belligerent, resisting officers efforts to arrest him, Auteri said, so he got a blast of pepper spray.
They also grabbed Feliciano, who pushed Officer Glenn Flora and was verbally abusive, he said.
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Torres continued to fight while in custody at headquarters, refusing to take a breath test, Auteri said.
Torres was charged with four counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, three of criminal mischief and one each of resisting arrest and obstruction and was held pending transfer to the Bergen County Jail. He was also wanted on an outstanding warrant out of Rutherford, records show.
Torres also received several summonses for, among other offenses, DWI, refusing to submit to a breath test, driving while suspended, disregarding a stop sign, making an illegal U-turn and careless driving.
Feliciano was released pending a hearing on charges of obstruction and disorderly conduct.
Police from North Arlington and Nutley assisted, Auteri said.
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