A 27-year-old New Hope man is facing a felony charge after police said he bit a bartender, fought with officers trying to arrest him, and then tried to grab a rifle from inside a police vehicle during a chaotic encounter outside a bar on South Main Street. Richard Herrera Arevalo was taken into custody after the Sept. 20 confrontation and has since been released from jail under nonmonetary bail conditions.
According to New Hope Free Press, New Hope Borough police were called to John and Peter's Place on South Main Street at 1:36 a.m. on Sept. 20 after employees reported a man yelling at an employee. Officers identified Herrera Arevalo as the man involved, who was reportedly sitting on a bench near the bar yelling into his phone that he had done nothing wrong, police said.
Bartender Allegedly Bitten During Struggle
An employee told police that Herrera Arevalo was not allowed on the property, and officers said he refused multiple requests to leave, per the same account. Police said he then walked toward the bartender in an aggressive manner and began yelling at him. When officers tried to take him into custody, he allegedly attempted to flee, triggering a physical struggle during which he bit the bartender, according to the report.
The station's report states that Herrera Arevalo resisted custody by elbowing and kicking an officer multiple times before he was ultimately arrested with the help of additional responding officers.
Alleged Attempt to Grab Rifle in Patrol Vehicle
Once inside the police vehicle, Herrera Arevalo allegedly maneuvered his handcuffs to the front of his body and tried to climb toward the front of the vehicle, police said. He then allegedly attempted to take a rifle positioned near the front passenger seat, according to the police affidavit cited in the report.
District Judge Terry Hughes arraigned Herrera Arevalo the same morning at 8:30 a.m., the outlet reported. He was initially jailed on 10 percent of $50,000 bail before that bail was later changed to nonmonetary conditions, allowing his release. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for December.
What the Charges Could Mean
Herrera Arevalo was charged with felony assault of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct-related offenses, per the report. Under Pennsylvania law, intentionally or knowingly causing or attempting to cause bodily injury to a law enforcement officer performing official duties by discharging a firearm is classified as a first-degree felony when the person knows the victim is an officer; a conviction under that provision can carry a prison term of up to 40 years, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
Separately, state law classifies resisting arrest as a second-degree misdemeanor when a person intends to prevent a public servant from making a lawful arrest or performing another duty and either creates a substantial risk of bodily injury or requires substantial force to overcome, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The case against Herrera Arevalo was compiled using police information and public court documents. As with all individuals arrested or charged with a crime, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
