RICHMOND — Police arrested a local man Tuesday night after he allegedly assaulted his band mate with a BB gun, took a sport utility vehicle and crashed it on Route 24, damaged a police cruiser and assaulted an officer as he was taken into custody.

Jedediah Wasilewski, 36, of Richmond, was charged with armed robbery, operating after suspension, assault, assault on an officer, criminal mischief and violation of probation. He could be charged with operating under the influence, pending the results of a blood test, according to Richmond Chief Scott MacMaster.

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Wasilewski

It all started at band practice, MacMaster said.

Wasilewski was at a friend’s house in a mobile home park on Hatch Street to practice with other musicians who are in a band together. MacMaster said Wasilewski asked a friend for a ride to a residence where he was staying on Beedle Road so he could get his guitar amplifier, but the friend refused. Wasilewski then grabbed a BB gun, struck a Richmond man with it and pinned the man against a vehicle.

Wasilewski then took an SUV belonging to someone else at the residence around 10 p.m. Tuesday. Soon thereafter he crashed the 2005 Ford Escape on Route 24, which is also known as River Road, near Knickerbocker Road. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

When the Hatch Street incident was reported to police, Officer James Donnell recognized Wasilewski’s name and figured he probably was headed to Beedle Road and would take Route 24.

That is where he found him and the extensively damaged Ford on the side of the road.

Wasilewski was uncooperative and resisted arrest, MacMaster said, and tried to walk away from Donnell, who called for assistance from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police and Gardiner police. Police used a Taser to subdue the man.

“At that point, the officer was unsure if he still had the BB gun, and if in fact it was a BB gun, so he called for assistance,” MacMaster said. “Eventually, with the assistance of other officers who arrived, they set up a perimeter, Tasered him and arrested him.”

While he was being placed in the back of Richmond’s 2013 Chevy Impala police cruiser and after he was in it, Wasilewski allegedly threw himself against, head-butted and kicked a rear door of the cruiser, damaging it so badly it won’t close completely. MacMaster said he caused $1,200 to $1,500 worth of damage.

Wasilewski suffered minor cuts and bruising from the accident and from head-butting and throwing himself at the police car, so he was taken to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick to be checked out.

While at the hospital, MacMaster said, Wasilewski continued to be uncooperative and pushed Donnell.

After he was cleared medically, he was taken to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj