A Hellertown borough man is facing charges after police say he tried to punch an officer while resisting arrest following an alleged disturbance involving a neighbor.
According to a department news release and court records, police were called to 39-year-old Matthew Alan Martin’s home in the 700 block of Front Street on the afternoon of March 9.
After responding to Martin’s address at around 4:40 p.m., the two responding officers met with his neighbor, who according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Northampton County District Court 03-2-04 accused Martin of making “threatening comments toward him” and “attempting to engage him in a physical altercation.”
Police said in the affidavit that they could hear “loud noises…which sounded similar to that of furniture being thrown about” coming from inside Martin’s apartment.
When they subsequently made contact with Martin, they said he “displayed an aggressive demeanor” and it was determined he should be patted down because he “was wearing loose, baggy clothing capable of concealing a weapon.”
Martin allegedly refused to cooperate and instead “began flailing his arms,” police said, before allegedly trying to punch one of the officers “with closed fists multiple times.”
Martin was then told he was under arrest, police said in the complaint, but continued to “resist…by pulling away and flailing his arms, putting (both officers) at risk of injury.”
They added that Martin was “repeatedly advised to ‘stop resisting'” during the alleged incident.
Following a preliminary arraignment before District Judge Douglas Schlegel on charges of Felony 1 aggravated assault, Misdemeanor 2 resisting arrest and Misdemeanor 3 harassment, Martin was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 straight bail, according to the court docket filed in his case.
A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled to be held before District Judge Alan Mege in Lower Saucon Township on Tuesday, March 21 at 2:30 p.m., the docket said.
The docket did not list an attorney for Martin.
Note: All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This story was compiled using information from the Hellertown Police Department and Northampton County court records.
