NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — A New Bedford man who was already in jail has been found guilty of resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III announced on Friday that 57-year-old Joseph Nascimento had recently been convicted by a jury.

Quinn said police were responding to a domestic violence call in June 2023 that involved Nascimento when they determined he had an active arrest warrant. The man allegedly tried to run away from police while being arrested, causing police to tackle him and use their stun guns to try to subdue him. Nascimento kicked at officers and bit an officer’s hand to the point of breaking skin, Quinn said. That officer punched Nascimento in the mouth so the man would release his hand, according to police.

According to Quinn, Nascimento told the officer he had bitten that he was “going to kill” him and kicked the officer in the head while the officer was trying to give him medical assistance.

Nascimento, who is already serving an 18-month sentence in the Bristol County House of Corrections, was sentenced to serve an additional nine months, Quinn said.

The 18-month sentence was for breaking the terms of his probation for a similar case, in which he assaulted officers in New Bedford District Court, the District Attorney said.

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