Man charged after Morris County traffic stop escalates into alleged assault on police
DENVILLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — A Sussex Borough man was arrested and charged with multiple offenses following a motor vehicle stop on Route 46 East earlier this month in Denville Township, according to police.
Police said the incident occurred at about 8:47 a.m. Dec. 15 near Franklin Road, when officers stopped a vehicle for an alleged handheld cell phone violation. During the stop, the driver, identified by authorities as Nicholas Piolli, 35, of Sussex Borough, allegedly became uncooperative and refused to identify himself or comply with officers’ instructions.
According to police, officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, but Piolli allegedly slammed his vehicle door into officers during the encounter. After a brief struggle, officers took him into custody and transported him to Denville Police Headquarters for processing.
Police said Piolli was charged with resisting arrest by physical force, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, obstruction of the administration of law, failure to use a hands-free cell phone, and failure to possess a driver’s license, registration and insurance.
Following processing, Piolli was transported to the Morris County Correctional Facility, where he is being held pending a future court date, police said.
