An early morning patrol in Worcester ended with the arrest of a man charged with drug trafficking and multiple assaults after a tense confrontation with police. Around 1:40 AM on January 12, Worcester Police spotted a BMW idling at the intersection of Walpole and Southbridge St, leading to a sequence of events detailed in a press release by the Worcester Police Department.
The situation escalated when the officer, attempting to investigate, found the driver, identified as 36-year-old Robert Villatico of Southgate St, seemingly asleep with the car in drive. Villatico's foot slipped off the brake during the encounter, causing the vehicle to begin to move, but he managed to stop the car after the officer's command. As police worked to definitively to arrest Villatico, a violent struggle ensued.
According to the police report, Villatico resisted arrest, resulting in a tussle that left two officers with minor injuries. During the altercation, he even attempted to seize an officer's Taser and used it against them. The officers successfully subdued Villatico and took him into custody.
Further search of the BMW led to the discovery of several bags of powder and "crack" cocaine, along with packing materials. Villatico now faces an array of charges: Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Drugs, Trafficking in a Class B Substance, Attempting to Disarm a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault and Battery on a Police Officer. This event serves to starkly remind of the dangers police officers regularly face and the persistent war on drugs within our urban streets.
