Sheriff’s officers apprehend suspected drunk driver after car chase
By Jonathan Greene
Published: October 5, 2014
A Hawthorne man is in police custody after he refused to halt his vehicle when authorities attempted a motor vehicle stop on Van Houten Street, according to the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, Abdel Manla, 35, was driving a black Mercedes Benz at around 3:45 a.m. on Van Houten Street when sheriff’s officer William O’Donnell attempted a motor vehicle stop. O’Donnell tried to pull over Manla, the suspect refused. “The vehicle attempted to leave the scene, striking the vehicle driven by Sgt. O’Donnell,” according to the sheriff’s office.
A vehicle chase ensued. O’Donnell pursued Manla to the intersection of Van Houten and Washington streets. Manla finally halted the vehicle but refused to yield to police. Manla resisted by force assaulting O’Donnell and another sheriff’s officer.
Manla attempted to elude arrest but officers Craig Goodson and O’Donnell didn’t let him get far. Officers found Manla in possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, according sheriff Richard Berdnik.
Goodson and O’Donnell apprehended Manla charging him with aggravated assault, eluding, resisting arrest, marijuana possession, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash and drunk driving.
Manla was handed over to Paterson Police Department.