Allegedly resisted arrest (and traffic patterns)
Police arrested a man for driving under the influence after he allegedly led them on a chase near the PATH station, said Captain Anthony Falco.
On Sunday, April 19, police were dispatched to the area of the PATH after receiving a call about two cars allegedly driving the wrong way at Hudson Place around 2:56 a.m.
By the time officers arrived, one of the cars was gone but the other was spotted allegedly heading the wrong way, or north, on Hudson Street. Police said they saw the car fishtail as it made a right turn onto First Street.
With lights flashing and sirens blaring, police tailed the blue Buick as its driver allegedly rolled through a red light at First and River streets. Police said the car went up on the sidewalk as the driver allegedly made a dangerously fast turn onto Sinatra Drive.
After swerving to gain control, the car finally stopped in the middle of the road on the 200 block of Sinatra Drive, police said.
Police said both the driver and the passenger were ordered out of the car, and said they smelled alcohol on the breath of the driver. Officers also allege that the man was stumbling while walking, and they brought both men to police headquarters for processing.
Police said the driver failed a dexterity test and that his eyes were bloodshot and watery. Police asked the man to submit to a Breathalyzer test, which the man allegedly refused.
Police charged the driver, Michael Leahey, Jr., 23, Bayonne, with driving while under the influence, resisting arrest, eluding an officer of the law, refusal to submit to a Breathalyzer, failure to observe traffic signals, and travelling the wrong way on a one-way street. And they gave him four traffic summons.
Guy allegedly punches random girl
A man was charged with simple assault last week after he allegedly punched a woman in the face at a bar, police said.
Captain Anthony Falco said police units patrolling the area of Madison and Fifth streets were stopped by a man and a woman outside of Lounge 11 at 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 19.
Police said the woman was holding a blood-stained shirt and covering her bloodied nose with her hand. She and her boyfriend told police that they were leaving the bar when a man, later identified as Brian Bicher, 28, of Maywood, N.J., allegedly pushed the boyfriend without saying a word to him.
His girlfriend told police that they tried to ignore Bicher, but as she continued out of the bar, Bicher allegedly grabbed her shirt and allegedly punched her in the face. Her boyfriend turned around and saw her bleeding from the nose, but as soon as he made a move toward Bicher, security guards intervened.
Bicher was escorted from the bar, but was found leaning up against a car when the couple waved down the squad car.
They identified Bicher and he was charged with simple assault.
All’s not well in stairwell
Police arrested a man for allegedly trespassing in the Housing Authority, and later found out he was also allegedly carrying a vial that could be used for cocaine.
At 10:40 p.m. on Monday, April 20, off-duty police hired to patrol public housing areas found the man, Daryl Johnson, 44, of Jersey City, when they were doing a routine check of building stairwells, Falco said.
Officers found Johnson, who they knew from prior arrests, sitting in the stairwell and asked him why he was in the project building at 300 Marshall Drive. Police are authorized to charge non-Housing Authority residents with defiant trespassing when they are loitering without reason in the buildings.
Johnson said he was there to change his clothes since it had been raining and he was wet, police said. While issuing the summons for trespassing, police realized Johnson had an outstanding warrant and brought him to headquarters for processing, they said.
A search of Johnson turned up a yellow plastic vial that Falco said was suspected to be used for cocaine. Johnson was further charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.