BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — A Gloucester man was arrested after allegedly assaulting a police officer and attempting to carjack two taxi drivers on Thursday morning.
Lynn Police responded to a disturbance at George’s Roast Beef on Broad Street at about 1 a.m. Officers were told that a white man, later identified as Salvatore Aiello, 33, came into the shop and jumped the counter, knocked over the cash register and caused it to break, Lynn Police Lt. Rick Donnelly said.
“Aiello yelled that someone was trying to shoot him,” Donnelly said. “Employees behind the counter escorted Aiello from behind the counter and out the front door of George’s Roast Beef.”
Employees saw Aiello run down Broad Street towards Market Street. After police were given a description of the suspect, Lynn Police dispatchers radioed that there was an attempted robbery in progress at the nearby MBTA garage by a suspect matching Aiello’s description, Donnelly said.
Officers spoke with a cab driver parked in the garage. The male driver told police that a white man wearing black and white checkered shorts ran up to his window and started punching the glass. Aiello then opened the rear passenger sliding door of the taxi van, Donnelly said.
“Aiello attempted to get into the driver’s seat and struggled with the driver,” Donnelly said. “Aiello and the cab driver fought and struggled for control of the motor vehicle as Aiello was trying to put the van in drive.”
The cab driver was able to fight off Aiello, who ran up to the next taxi in line and took off on foot near North Shore Community College, Donnelly said.
Police were flagged down by another cab driver on Market Street. The driver told officers that the person inside his taxi was trying to steal the vehicle. Officers looked inside and saw that Aiello was in the cab, bleeding.
“Aiello had his arms wrapped around the steering, and was lying around the front portion of the cab,” Donnelly said.
When officers tried to remove Aiello from the vehicle, he resisted. The cab was running and Aiello grabbed the gear shift with one hand and placed the other on the steering wheel and said “shoot me, just shoot me.”
Officers tried to move his hands and grabbed his legs and attempted to pull him from the vehicle. Aiello put the taxi in reverse, striking an unmarked police cruiser behind it, and knocked down a police officer and dragged him several feet, Donnelly said.
After a struggle, Aiello was arrested.
The police officer struck and dragged suffered a leg injury and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. It was determined at the hospital that the officer had a large contusion to his lower leg, Donnelly said.
The second cab driver told police that Aiello had jumped into his taxi, shouting incomprehensible words while he grabbed the steering wheel. The two engaged in a fist fight in the vehicle until the cab driver flagged down police. The driver thought he broke his hand in the fight and was taken to Salem Hospital. He also told police he thought Aiello was high on something, Donnelly said.
Officers thought that Aiello was under the influence of drugs. He was taken to Union Hospital, where it was learned that Aiello had a fractured skull. He was then taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where he remains under police guard, Donnelly said.
Aiello’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening and his arraignment date has not been set. Officers went through his pockets at the hospital and found 5.5 grams of what they believe is crack cocaine, Donnelly said.
Aiello is charged with two counts of carjacking, assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a Class B drug, resisting arrest and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.