Everett man nabbed after Rt. 1 slow-speed chase in Saugus

SAUGUS – An Everett man was so drunk behind the wheel Saturday that two police cars were forced to stop him in the middle of Route 1 after nearly two miles of a slow-speed chase, causing a massive traffic back-up at about 1:30 a.m., police said.Jalal Berradi, 34, of 534 Broadway #3, Everett, was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, driving with a suspended license, driving to endanger and driving an unregistered vehicle among other violations and three outstanding warrants.State Police Trooper Lisa Cote-Barthelmess says she tried to pull Berradi over after noticing him continually weave across all three northbound lanes while going more than 10 miles per hour under the speed limit.She activated her lights and sirens as they approached Essex Street but Berradi allegedly continued on, oblivious to the fact that a police officer was trying to pull him over.Saugus Officer Stacey Forni arrived to help pull the suspect over, initially to no avail. With Forni’s police car riding alongside Berradi and the State Police car following from behind, it took about two miles before he had the sense to stop his car in the center travel lane, police said.During the chase, “The operator was looking straight ahead and made no attempt to pull over or slow down,” Cote-Barthelmess wrote in a police report.When Berradi finally did slow down, police were forced to shut down all three northbound lanes. In the meantime, Berrardi allegedly forgot to put his car into “park” and it kept rolling as the Trooper banged on the window for him to shut off the vehicle.Police questioned a female passenger, who said she was Berradi’s girlfriend and didn’t know how much alcohol he drank that night.A police report said Berrardi’s speech was “extremely slurred” and he was drooling. He allegedly spit all over the back of a State Police car and was belligerent while being transported to jail.Police say Berrardi’s blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.At the State Police barracks, Berrardi allegedly told Cote-Barthelmess that he was an “ultimate fighter” who “could have broken my neck if he wanted to,” she wrote in a report.When asked why he didn’t stop for police, Berrardi allegedly said, “You should have called me on the phone and asked me.”