By Lisa Redmond
The Lowell Sun
LOWELL, Mass. — A Boston man was arrested at gunpoint Sunday after he allegedly rammed a Lowell police cruiser and nearly hit a bicycle officer with his car while trying to flee from a minor traffic stop, allegedly because there were drugs in the vehicle.
At his arraignment in Lowell District Court, Nikoma Moore, 29, of the Mattapan section of Boston, was ordered held on $2,500 bail after pleading innocent to possession of class B and D drugs, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (two counts), assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle without a suspended license and refusal to identity himself.
He is also facing charges of failing to signal, failure to stop, failure to stop for police, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
According to court documents, a bicycle officer was on Broadway Street at 6:49 p.m., when he noticed a vehicle, driven by Moore, with two other passengers in the car, fail to complete stop at the busy intersection. The officer followed the vehicle as it took a series of turns without signaling.
When the officer signaled for the vehicle to pull over, Moore refused to produce a license and became verbally aggressive toward the officer, according to documents. About 30 seconds later, the bicycle officer could see his backup coming down the street with lights and siren.
The driver allegedly floored the vehicle, nearly hitting the bicycle officer and swerved his vehicle down the middle of the road, ramming the front of the oncoming cruiser. There were two officers in the cruiser. They were not seriously hurt.
Officer Nathan Bowler drew his weapon and took aim at the driver, according to court documents. While the driver was still trying to flee, his vehicle was caught between the cruiser and the curbstone, documents state. The three men refused to show their hands.
Officers physically removed Moore from the vehicle and then had to use a chemical spray to subdue him enough to be handcuffed, documents state. The other two men in the vehicle -- Shane Dunning and Rashawn Moore -- were arrested after an officer broke the glass on the vehicle and unlocked the door.
Rashawn Moore was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Dunning was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
During a search of the vehicle, police reportedly found two bags in the console. One large bag was filled with what is police believe is marijuana, while a smaller bag contained crack cocaine.
Police also discovered that Nikoma Moore had two default warrants out of Boston Municipal Court and that his right to operate a vehicle was suspended.
All three are scheduled to return to court on Aug. 2.
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