Township police said the 47-year-old from Phillipsburg became combative during his arrest.
A drunken Phillipsburg man is accused of threatening to "shoot up" the Palmer Township Police Department and nearby Palmer Park Mall after a reported shoplifting incident, police said.
(file photo) Joseph Michael Dellatore Jr., 47, of the first block of Chamber Street, allegedly collected $133 worth of items early Saturday at the Giant supermarket and left without paying.
Giant employees told police Dellatore got into his car and nearly struck two store workers as he fled and they tried to stop him in the parking lot.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, a township police officer stopped in traffic said he spotted Dellatore speeding at Nazareth Road and Sales Street. Dellatore nearly struck the officer's patrol vehicle, according to court records.
The officer attempted to stop Dellatore by enacting sirens and flashing lights, but he kept going, ignoring signals and accelerating even faster, police said.
Dellatore allegedly weaved in and out of lanes before losing control of the vehicle. It left the road, hit an embankment and came to rest in the Sheetz parking lot in the 3500 block of Nazareth Road, police said.
Police said Dellatore smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and trouble keeping his balance. He allegedly became combative on the way to the police station, hit the back cage of the police vehicle and spit.
He repeatedly told officers while in a holding cell that he would come back to the police department, and the Palmer Park Mall, and "shoot it up." He spit and urinated in the holding cell, police said.
Dellatore is charged with eluding police, drunken driving, reckless endangerment, making terroristic threats, criminal mischief, reckless driving and retail theft. He was arraigned before District Judge Robert Hawke, who set bail at $50,000.
In lieu of bail, Dellatore was taken to Northampton County Prison.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.