Police: Suspected Heroin Dealer Bit Officer

Easton police have caught up with a suspected heroin dealer known to drive a gold Lexus with New Jersey tags.

But Friday afternoon’s capture of Eric Shaw, 20, came only after he allegedly bit a city police officer in the lower arm and hurdled fences, ran through back yards and tried to get into a house to prevent being caught, court records say.

Shaw, of 1016 Ferry St. in the city, had four outstanding warrants for alleged heroin dealing in Easton and a fifth warrant accusing him of having a marijuana cigarette. 

In many of the cases, police used a CS, a  “cooperating source,” to buy heroin from Shaw, according to criminal complaints filed by city Det. Anthony Arredondo.

On Friday, one of the complaints says, the CS arranged to buy heroin from Shaw in the area of Ninth and Jackson streets near Easton Heights Cemetery. Shaw handed something to the CS through a car window.

Arredondo and another officer stopped Shaw, telling him he was under arrest for felony warrants. He jumped over a fence into a back yard, and did the same at other yards as the officers yelled at him to stop.

While running away, Shaw allegedly discarded a cell phone, a bag of marijuana and heroin packets.

A woman told police Shaw tried to go through the back door to get into her home on the 900 block of Bushkill Street. He stopped only when she yelled at him to stop, she said. He then ran down the middle of Bushkill Street toward 10th Street, police said.

The detective and Officer Joseph Arredondo – the detective and officer have the same last name – tried to restrain Shaw on 10thStreet, but he allegedly bit Officer Arredondo on the lower arm. Several teeth marks were visible. Shaw continued struggling on the ground until taken into custody.

The following is information about Shaw's alleged dealing outlined in the outstanding warrants:

--June 21, 5:15 p.m., 1000 block of Spruce Street, a heroin buy involving a CS; Shaw drove the gold Lexus.

--June 26, 3:20 p.m., 10th and Butler streets, another alleged heroin deal (no mention of a CS).

--May 29, 3:50 p.m., 1100 block of Pine Street, a heroin buy using a CS.

--July 5, 2 p.m., 15th and Ferry streets (on the Easton side), stopped while driving; he allegedly gave a false name (Rashon Shaw) that showed he did not have a valid driver’s license; allegedly had one marijuana cigarette seen burning in an ashtray; police discovered an arrest warrant from New Jersey state police.

--June 9, 11:43 a.m., 1100 block of Pine Street, heroin buy using a CS.

For Friday’s incident, Shaw is charged with delivery of a controlled substance (heroin), criminal use of a communication facility, aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, criminal trespass and escape.

In the other incidents, he faces such charges as delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and false identification to law enforcement officers.

He was arraigned Saturday by on-duty District Judge John Capobianco of Nazareth and committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $75,000 bail.