The Jersey Journal
UNION CITY, New Jersey — Two cops were injured during a melee Friday while arresting a suspected marijuana dealer and his four pals, police reports said.
Jorge Espinosa, 20, of 29th Street, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, resisting arrest and aggravated assault, reports said. Ramon Liriano, 18, of Summit Avenue, was charged with obstructing administration of the law, and Pedro Villanueva, 22, of 29th Street, Alex Villanueva, 21, of Murphy Place in West New York, and Brian Santana, 18, of Nelson Avenue in the Bronx, were charged with disorderly conduct, police said.
Responding to a complaint that a group of young men was selling drugs at 29th Street and Central Avenue, two police officers approached the group at around 10:30 p.m. At that point, Espinosa dropped a brown bag containing about 20 small bags of marijuana, police said.
He began to fight with the two officers who tried to arrest him, then yelled out to his friends to “pick up the bags,” but instead they joined in to help Espinosa fight off the cops, reports said.
Approximately 15 backup officers arrived and surrounded the group.
Realizing they were outnumbered, the group tried to flee but was caught, reports said.
The two officers who initiated the arrests suffered scratches, bruises and strains in the melee.
Copyright 2007 Jersey Journal