By VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — Police have reported arresting a man they say sang to an officer before hitting that same officer, leading police on a foot chase and dropping the illegal substances he was carrying.

The alleged singing slugger was identified as  Jose Santiago, 23, of 27 Dexter Court, Pawtucket. He is facing charges of manufacturing, possession or delivering methamphetamine, assault of police officers and other officials and resisting legal or illegal arrest, according to a report from the Central Falls Police Department.
According to officer Omar Ospina, the incident started off innocuously: Santiago turned without using a blinker, then drifted through a stop sign without coming to a halt.. It became more complicated when he pulled over Santiago, who was described as being “very nervous,” with slurred speech. Ospina also reported that “(Santiago’s) right hand was shaking uncontrollably.”
While looking for vehicle paperwork, Santiago allegedly began singing. When asked why he was so nervous, Santiago reportedly insisted that he wasn’t.
Ospina then reproached Santiago, instructing him to answers questions directly. The suspect allegedly replied by singing in Spanish, “OK, sir, I’m sorry.”
Ospina reported seeing Santiago touching the right pocket of his jeans, where a bulge was visible. When asked if he had anything illegal in his possession, he allegedly replied “Not really,” at which point he was asked to step out of the car.
Santiago allegedly had to be told several times to keep his hands away from his pockets.
During a patdown search, Santiago reportedly told Ospina that the two bulky items in his pockets were cell phones. He is said to have  added that he had a big roll of money in his back pocket.
When asked if he worked, Santiago allegedly replied that he did not,. According to reports, he then pushed himself away from the police car, causing Ospina to lose his balance.
Santiago then struck Ospina in the chest area with his right elbow and ran north on Broad Street, before turning onto Central Street, police said.  Ospina reported that during the chase Santiago “(took) a small object out of his pocket and (brought) his hand to his mouth.” He then allegedly took off the brown leather jacket he was wearing, dropping it in the Central Avenue area, where it was later recovered by police.
The chase continued into the backyard of a Cross Street home, with Ospina reportedly deploying an expandable police baton and demanding that Santiago stop running. When he realized that he had no place left to run, Santiago allegedly dropped a clear plastic baggie “containing a white substance” into a Cross Street yard, before making a “fighting gesture” and charging toward Ospina.
Ospina reportedly struck Santiago in the leg, causing him to fall to the ground. A second officer helped handcuff Santiago, who allegedly put his hands under his body and refused to remove them. After being asked several times to show his hands, Santiago was reportedly struck several times in his upper body until he complied.
According to Ospina’s report, Santiago had dropped “22 small baggies with a white powder like substance.” The substance tested positive for methamphetamine, with an estimated value of $450, according to police.
Santiago was processed and placed in a cell pending an arraignment the following morning, according to police. He was also issued a state summons for the turn signal and stop sign violations.