NEWTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Newton man is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next week after Newton Police Department said two of its officers are recovering after being punched in the head on Saturday. Police say two of their officers responded to a domestic violence call on Watertown Street on Saturday night. Dispatch reported that someone else had been punched in the face.
Newton Police said the officers went to arrest the suspect and found him outside, but he ran into a nearby apartment. Chief John Carmichael said the suspect ran into a bedroom, got up on a bed and said he wouldn't be taken into custody.
A struggle ensued, and police say the suspect fought with the officers, punching them both in the head and reaching for one of the officer's guns. Police said one of the officers was briefly knocked unconscious and a coffee table was smashed in the process.
However, roommates of the arrested man told NBC 10 that he had been calmly watching television when the officers arrived, and that the police had used excessive force.
Carmichael says the officers weren't wearing body cameras.
Police wouldn't release the name of the suspect, citing a confidentiality law that allows them to keep the names of domestic violence suspects under wraps. He's expected to be in court today on charges of assault and battery on a police officer, attempting to disarm a police officer and resisting arrest.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App