BOSTON -- A lawyer who was acquitted of two rape charges after being named one of People magazine's "Most Eligible Bachelors" was arrested Wednesday and charged with hitting a police officer who confronted him for urinating in public.

Gary Zerola, 36, was arrested near Faneuil Hall about 1:45 a.m., as fans celebrated the Celtics' victory in the NBA Finals.

Zerola unbuttoned his pants and turned toward the corner of a building, according to a police report filed by Sgt. David O'Connor.

When O’Connor confronted Zerola and ordered him to stop, Zerola struck O'Connor on the shoulder and fled before being tackled by officers a few blocks away, according to the report.

In 2001, Zerola was named one of People's 50 most eligible bachelors.

In court Wednesday, Zerola had two bandages on his knees and one on his right hand - injuries he said he received when he was arrested.

Zerola said he had been at the game and was celebrating the Celtics’ win.

"I was trying to go home, that's all," he said. "It was one of the best nights of my life that ended with a thud."

Zerola denied the charges and was released on personal recognizance.

His arrest comes days after prosecutors in Florida dropped charges that he raped an 18-year-old woman at a Miami Beach hotel.

Zerola also was acquitted earlier this year of rape and attempted rape in cases involving two other women in the Boston area.