Man Assaulted Gloucester Township Police Officer Following Traffic Stop: Police

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Lindenwold man has been charged with assaulting a Gloucester Township Police officer following a traffic stop in Pine Hill Wednesday morning.

Bryan Uriarte, 23, was charged with third-degree aggravated assault on a police officer, third-degree resisting arrest and criminal mischief, Gloucester Township Police said Thursday morning.

Police were conducting enhanced traffic patrols in the area of Blackwood-Clementon Road when police say they saw a 2008 Black Dodge Avenger commit an unspecified violation and pulled it over.

Police approached the car and asked Uriarte to exit, but they say he refused. He ultimately got out of the car after being asked to do so several times, police said.

Police attempted to arrest Uriarte on an outstanding warrant, but allege he began swinging errant elbows and pulled away from an officer.

One of the elbows struck an officer in the head causing a contact lens to become loose and fall to the ground. The lens was not recovered, police said. The officer suffered temporary loss of vision and needed medical treatment. He also suffered significant injury to his forehead.

A Lindenwold Police sergeant also assisted after seeing the officers’ struggle while out on patrol.

Uriarte was ultimately arrested and charged, and remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.