Credit: Bristol Township police
A man wanted by Bristol Township police scuffled with Northampton officers who were arresting him Sunday, according to authorities.
Dean J. Decker, 27, of Bensalem, was wanted by Bristol Township police on a charge of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and by the Bucks County Sheriff’s office on a warrant. He is also now facing multiple new charges, including aggravated assault, resisting arrest, simple assault, and related offenses.
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Northampton police said they were called to Ponderosa Drive in the Holland section of the township around 1:43 a.m. Sunday for a reported domestic dispute involving a man and a woman arguing outside a vehicle. Upon arrival, police spotted the vehicle and made a traffic stop.
The driver who identified as Robert Costello was later determined to be Decker. He reportedly said he was driving a car from his work. He also stated he was employed as a mechanic.
Police said Decker refused to get out of his vehicle.
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Officers attempted to remove him from the vehicle, which had an expired registration. As law enforcement attempted to remove him, Decker began to “actively and violently resist arrest” while being removed, police said.
In a press release, police said an officer used a Taser and it had little effect on Decker, who grabbed the officer’s weapon and attempted to grab another officer’s holstered Taser.
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Officers were able to subdue Decker and take him into custody, police said.
Two officers were injured and taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown. They were later released after treatment.
Surrounding police departments responded to assist Northampton officers.
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According to the warrant from Bristol Township police, Decker delivered .20 grams of methamphetamines to an informant in the 300 block of Oaktree Drive in Levittown in April.
Decker was arraigned by on-call District Judge Jan Vislosky on the Northampton and Bristol Township charges. He was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $300,000 bail in the Northampton case and 10 percent of $350,000 bail in the Bristol Township drug case.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
