Police say driver resisted contact for hour after stop BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer SOUTH BRUNSWICK - What began as a routine traffic stop turned into an hourlong effort by police to get a Somerville woman out of her car, despite her every reported attempt to thwart them. On July 7 around 11:06 p.m., an officer conducted a vehicle stop for Dora Stevens, 49, the driver of a red Ford Focus, due to numerous alleged traffic violations. When stopped, police said Stevens was observed to be talking on her cell phone. The officer knocked on the window several times to get her attention but got no response. The officer then called for backup. The dispatcher told him that Stevens had been on her cell phone via 911 with the state police, who had then transferred her to the South Brunswick dispatch. The officer was told that she had had "negative contact" with the Plainsboro Police Department in the past. The dispatcher on the phone with Stevens told her to open the window and talk to the officer who was still occasionally knocking on her window, according to police reports. The woman proceeded to hang up on the dispatcher. She then took out a directory of state government listings and began making cell phone calls to "unknown numbers" from that directory, according to reports. The officer was then informed that there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest in Plainsboro for traffic violations. The officer kept trying to get her to come out of the car and she then, according to reports, "displayed her middle finger" to the officer. Another officer on the scene called a tow in order to get some lock-out tools. Meanwhile, the original officer positioned his car in a way that would keep the woman from driving off. It was at this point that off-duty Chief Raymond Hayducka arrived in plainclothes to observe. The woman reportedly rolled down her window to shout profanities at the officers and one of them jammed his flashlight in the gap in order to keep her from closing it again. Another officer tried to distract her while others attempted to use a lock-out tool to unlock the passenger's-side door, but when she noticed what was going on, she quickly grabbed it and prevented entry, according to reports. Officers then informed Stevens that they were going to pepper-spray her and, in response, she put a rag over her head. Then, as promised, they released a "small dose" of spray. Finally, she left the car out of the driver's side and was immediately handcuffed and taken to the station. The entire process took an hour. While she was being driven to police headquarters, Stevens continually shouted that she was going to sue the officer and the police department, and also called them "corrupt pigs" that were associated with organized crime "just looking for a payoff" and would be writing letters to state officials, according to reports. While at the station, the police report stated that she did not cooperate with any instructions while being processed. In the end, Stevens was charged with obstruction of justice as well as several traffic violations. She was taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center in North Brunswick in lieu of bail.