The assault followed an alleged minor dispute minutes earlier in the Pathmark on Springfield Boulevard that involved the defendant's girlfriend.
The officer was shopping and accidentally bumped into a woman while on line at the register. While he walked to his car, he was jumped by a man believed to be her boyfriend.
Investigators say the man beat the officer so severely that he suffered three fractures to his face, which required hospitalization and the surgical implantation of a metal plate and metal wires to be placed in his face.
Police have arrested Tommie D. Williams, 27, who is facing charges of second-degree assault and second-degree harassment. If convicted, Williams faces up to seven years in prison.