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Tajay Turner, 25, of Rockaway at first tried to elude Officer Chris Kiszka on Rochelle Avenue in his Honda Accord but eventually pulled over on West Passaic Street shortly after midnight, Detective Lt. James DePreta said.
Turner told the officer that he didn’t have any ID, then began sweating profusely while providing what appeared to be a false name, DePreta said.
After following Kiszka directive to step out of the car, Turner bolted, the lieutenant said.
He ran through the Shop Rite parking lot, then crossed over Plaza Way before eventually jumping into the Sprout Brook, DePreta said.
Kiszka and Officer Jorge Orihuela cut Turner off moments later and got him out of the muddy water.
Turner, who was once a running back and defensive back on the Morris Hills High School varsity football team, has previous drug-related arrests, records show.
Rochelle Park police charged him with resisting arrest, obstruction and hindering apprehension. Turner also received several motor vehicle summonses.
Police turned him over to the Morris County sheriff’s officers for transportation to their county jail on an outstanding warrant.
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