A New Bedford man with a history of aggression against authority figures bit his way into nine months in jail after clamping his jaw down on the hand of a police officer arresting him, breaking the skin.

“(Expletive) you, I’m going to kill you,” prosecutors say Joseph Nascimento, 57, yelled at his victim before biting down — hard. This was after getting tased twice to no apparent effect.

A New Bedford District Court jury of six convicted Nascimento of resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer. Judge Cynthia Brackett sentenced Nascimento to nine months in the county lockup. But that’s just extending his stay, as Nascimento was already booked for a year and a half for breaking probation connected to a similar case where he assaulted court officers at the same courthouse.

“This defendant is a career criminal who has no respect for authority or the law,” Bristol County DA Thomas Quinn said. “He was completely disrespectful to the police and totally out of control. … This case highlights the difficulty police can encounter when trying to restrain uncooperative and violent individuals.”

This encounter was on June 12, 2023, when local police were called for a domestic violence complaint against Nascimento. They looked up his name and saw he was the subject of an active arrest warrant. When they approached him on the street, he had some choice and threatening words before him before fleeing, according to prosecutor Victoria Bendza.

An officer tackled him and more officers came to assist. He withstood them as well as being tased twice before he bit the officer and wouldn’t let go until the officer punched him in the mouth with his other hand.

“That same officer then rendered aid to the defendant, at which point the defendant kicked him in the head,” according to a DA statement.