A Plainfield man has been charged with trying to disarm a Bayonne police officer, also fighting and biting officers as he resisted arrest, authorities said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Zaiir T. Belton, 20, of Plainfield, was charged with disarming a law enforcement officer,
resisting arrest, aggravated assault, and contempt, according to Police Capt. Eric Amato.
Belton was taken into custody at 3:37 a.m. from the area of 3rd Street and Broadway. Officers patrolling the area observed a light shining into and scanning the interior of parked vehicles in the area.
As the officers continued to observe, they noticed a male, later identified as Belton, walking and shining a flashlight into vehicles. The officers then approached him and began an investigation, during which he was uncooperative.
The investigation revealed that Belton had an active warrant for his arrest issued out of the Mountainside Municipal Court.
The officers then advised him that he was being placed under arrest for the warrant and, as they attempted to handcuff him, Belton tensed up and made an attempt to unholster one officer’s firearm.
The other officer immediately grabbed his arm, but Belton pulled away and attempted to flee. Before he was able to flee, the officers immediately grabbed hold of him and he immediately began to actively fight the officers.
During his assault on the officers, Belton again grabbed hold of the handle of the same officer’s firearm and attempted to remove it from the holster.
The officers were able to prevent Belton from disarming the officer by taking him to the ground and deploying a burst of OC spray, during which time, Belton kicked an officer in his knee.
Once on the ground, as the officers attempted to handcuff Belton, Belton bit both officers on their hands, causing several open wounds to their fingers.
Belton was ultimately secured in handcuffs and transported to an area hospital to be evaluated and both officers were treated for injuries sustained during the incident, police said.
This was the second time this week that a man tired to disarm a police officer as he was being arrested, according to officials.
