Warren man challenges city cop, arrested

WARREN — James A. Stennett, 20, of Hazelwood Avenue Southeast, pleaded not guilty Monday in Warren Municipal Court to misdemeanor obstructing official business for an incident Sunday in which he is alleged to have confronted a police officer sitting in his cruiser watching vehicular traffic.

Stennett also has pending charges of domestic violence and interfering with custody from March in which an Amber Alert was issued because Stennett was alleged to have made threatening remarks as he took his young son from the child’s mother.

In the Sunday incident, an officer said he was parked on Hazelwood Avenue Southeast in a public housing complex when Stennett approached the officer and said “What are you doing here?” and told the officer he should “get the ---- out of here.”

Stennett then refused to identify himself and walked into an apartment. The officer asked a female outside the name of the male. She said she didn’t have to identify him or herself but eventually did identify Stennett, who came out of the apartment and was arrested.

Stennett was released on bond a few hours later.