During the early morning hours of Saturday, August 16th, Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) officers responded to a report of a fight in the roadway on the 600 block of Sherman Avenue.
Upon arriving at the scene, police reportedly found approximately 20 individuals standing in the roadway who had witnessed a fight that spilled out from a house party nearby. One of the alleged combatants had already left the scene but the other immediately began yelling obscenities at the responding officers, according to the report. Officers attempted to calm the individual, later identified as Russell J. Benner, age 22, of Roselle Park. However, Mr. Benner reportedly refused to comply with several requests for him to quiet down and return to a nearby friend’s house. He then aggressively “chest bumped” Sergeant Matthew Disano. Sergeant Disano then attempted to arrest Mr. Benner and take him into custody but Benner violently resisted those efforts. After a brief struggle, Benner was handcuffed by Sgt. Disano and Patrolman William Hannon and secured in a patrol vehicle.
Mr. Benner was transported to police headquarters for processing, charged with Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest (3rd degree) and lodged into Union County Jail on $5,000 bail.
To date the other combatant has not been identified.
Sergeant Disano suffered a minor shoulder injury during the arrest of Russell Benner but he did not require medical attention at this time.