Somerville man hit woman, assaulted officers at courthouse - Somerville, NJ - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

On 6/30/2014, NJ.com reported the following story:

"Cops: Somerville man hit woman, assaulted officers at courthouse
By Walter O'Brien | NJ.com

on June 30, 2014 at 6:21 PM, updated July 02, 2014 at 6:24 PM


SOMERVILLE — A Somerville man seen striking and pushing a woman outside the county courthouse resisted arrest and struggled with four sheriff's officers as he was taken into custody, according to a complaint filed in the Somerset County Courthouse.

At about 11:10 a.m. on Friday, Officers Richard Fedora and Ahmed Mackay from the Somerset County Sheriff's Office were notified by two eyewitnesses that Forrest Lee, 22, of Somerville was seen hitting a woman while standing outside the front doors of the Somerset County Courthouse, the affidavit said.

The officers arrived to see Lee striking the woman in her torso and pushing her outside the courthouse door, the affidavit said. Police did not release the name of the woman.

The officers left the courthouse and yelled at Lee to stop and relax, but Lee looked in their direction and said, "Oh, (expletive)," and starting walking away, the affidavit said.

Fedora grabbed Lee by the elbow and guided him to the courthouse wall, telling him to put his hands on the wall so they could talk, the affidavit said.

Lee threw his elbow back at Fedora, tried to spin around to face him and said, "(Expletive) you, I'm not doing anything," the affidavit said.

Fedora told Lee he was under arrest, reached for Lee's right wrist and tried to handcuff him with Mackay's help, but Lee forcefully tried to keep his arm from going behind his back, the affidavit said.

Fedora kept telling Lee to stop and give him his hands, at which time Officer Floyd Whaley left the courthouse to help trying to secure Lee's left arm, until the officers decided to place Lee prone on the ground to get the handcuffs around him, the affidavit said.


Lee continued to struggle with the officers, but once handcuffed, Lee was taken to the fifth floor holding cell area by officers Whaley and Mackay, where Officer Giacomo Crismale, Officer Sam Annuzzi and Whaley removed the handcuffs in order to conduct a pat-down search, the affidavit said.

Lee was handcuffed again behind the back and taken to the third floor holding cell area, but once he stepped off the elevator, he became combative again with the officers, the affidavit said.

As Crismale and Annuzzi tried to get Lee into the holding cell, Lee's actions pushed both officers into the wall, damaging the wall, the affidavit said.

The officers placed Lee on the floor again, placed him in leg shackles, and moved him to the fourth floor holding cell, the affidavit said.

Lee was charged with three counts of fourth-degree aggravated assault against on-duty officers Annuzzi, Fedora and Crismale, third-degree resisting arrest, and simple assault against Jane Doe, a disorderly persons offense, the affidavit said.

Bail was set by at $10,000 cash or bond by Judge Paul W. Armstrong of state Superior Court in Somerville.

Update: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the sheriff's officers as Somerville borough police officers."

Type of publication: Internet Only When was the article reported?: 06/30/2014 Publication: NJ.com Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Crime

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