Buffalo, NY – A Silver Creek man, wanted by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department, was arrested by Erie County deputies after a traffic stop in which he allegedly assaulted police.
While on patrol, a traffic stop on Grand Island was made about 9 p.m. Wednesday by deputies with the Erie County Sheriff’s Department. . Police said the driver told them he didn’t have a license on him but provided the deputy a name and birth date. The investigation revealed the man was not who he claimed to be and deputies asked him to leave the vehicle several times before he complied and was handcuffed.
Gage Laspesa, 20, of Silver Creek, had an active warrant for criminal possession of a controlled substance. When Deputies told Laspesa he was under arrest for false personation and the warrant, he began head-butting and kicked the deputies, according to police. The subject was finally detained in the rear of the patrol vehicle.
While processing Laspesa and searching the vehicle, police said they found marijuana on him and illegal fireworks in the back seat of his vehicle. The defendant is charged with two felony counts of assaulting an officer, misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, and false personation. He is also charged with two separate violations for marijuana and fireworks possession along with vehicle and traffic law violations.
Laspesa is being held at the Erie County Holding Center pending his arraignment. The passenger, Laura Park, 29 of Elma, was also charged with unlawful possession of fireworks and released with appearance tickets.
