After resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, an Onset man who repeatedly threatened officers was placed into custody by Wareham Police. 

After receiving multiple 911 calls about a disturbance on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 3:26 a.m., Wareham Police officers responded to the area of Gray Street in Onset. Upon their arrival, Officers Justin Silveira, Nate Aronson, and Sergeant Steve Soqui saw several people watching a man, identified as Joshua Russell, 33, of Onset, yelling at another person, later identified as his girlfriend’s daughter. The girl told police that there was no physical violence during the incident, and that Russell became angry when he saw her talking to two men.

Once Russell saw the officers he started aggressively moving toward them, saying “he wanted to be shot,” according to the police. 

Officers attempted to place Russell into custody. While being escorted to the cruiser, Russell threatened Officer Aronson by saying that he was going to “smash [his] face in and blow [his] head off,” according to the police. Russell continued his string of vulgarities directed at the officers and was physically placed into the cruiser.

Later on, during booking at police headquarters, Russell had to be restrained by several officers as he charged and spat at Officer Aronson. 

Joshua Russell is charged with assault, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, three counts of threats to commit a crime, two counts of intimidation of a witness, assault and battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest.

In court on Nov. 12, prosecutors asked for Russell’s bail to be raised from $1,000 to $1,500, due to his history in the criminal justice system. Russell has been charged with assault and battery on a police officer and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and was released from jail earlier this year after serving a sentence for manslaughter. Russell had been found guilty of killing a man by hitting him over the head with a golf club and crushing his skull during an altercation at Stevie B’s in Onset.

Russell’s defense attorney offered what he said was not an excuse, but simply more information, saying that Russell has Type 1 diabetes, had been having trouble with his insulin, and had been drinking. He also said that Russell had had personal issues with one of the officers involved, and that Russell had to be taken to Tobey while he was in custody due to his insulin issues.

The judge ordered Russell to be fitted with a GPS monitor and ordered him to comply with a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.