By Lisa Redmond, Sun Staff
LOWELL- Police used chemical spray to arrest a 21-year-old city man after he allegedly punched a Lowell police officer in the face while fleeing a car accident.
Jonathan Cullinan, of 29 Halley Road, had his bail set at $5,000 surety or $500 cash bail after pleading innocent in Lowell District Court to charges of assault and battery on a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to stop for police and resisting arrest.
Lowell police say that on Nov. 2, officers were responding to a report of a two-car accident on Riverside Street when witnesses told them the driver of one of the vehicles ran a stop sign and plowed into the other car, then the male driver and a female passenger fled on foot.
The man and woman were found nearby hiding behind a bush. When Lowell police Officer Thomas Tetreault Jr. approached Jonathan Cullinan, the latter allegedly yelled obscenities at the officer and punched him in the face.
Tetreault and another officer who responded to the scene subdued Cullinan using chemical spray.
Cullinan’s passenger told police he was driving eratically and drove through the stop sign, hitting the other car. He jumped from the vehicle and ran. She said she followed him because she was scared.
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