TOWN OF WALLKILL – A Beacon man has been arrested for striking a state trooper in the face with his cell phone.
David Clarke, 32, was charged with assault, obstructing governmental administration and criminal possession of a weapon following the incident at 11 p.m. on September 8.
Troopers had responded to the Wallkill rest area on Interstate 84 westbound in the Town of Wallkill.
Officers found a 2013 Honda Civic parked in a handicapped parking spot with a flat tire. Clarke, who was standing next to the car, was found to be intoxicated and admitted to driving the vehicle.
He was transported to State Police barracks in Montgomery where he was permitted to make a call on his cell phone. At the end of the call, he refused to put it down and became combative and intentionally struck a trooper in the head above his left eye with the phone, causing pain, swelling and blurred vision.
Clarke continued resist and fight with troopers until subdued.
He was arraigned and remanded to Orange County Jail in lieu of bail.
