A Seattle husband and wife were arrested Friday after allegedly assaulting an off-duty Renton Police officer trying to defuse a road-rage incident on State Route 167.

The 37-year-old officer, a 10-year veteran of the Renton force, suffered facial lacerations, sore ribs and multiple contusions; he was treated at a local hospital and released, according to Detective Robert Onishi.

Charges against the couple are expected to be filed on Wednesday. They were being held in the King County jail.

The officer, whose name wasn’t released, was northbound in his private vehicle on SR 167 at about 1:30 p.m. Friday. At the freeway’s interchange with Interstate 405, he witnessed a dispute after a white Mercedes merging onto SR 167 almost hit a Toyota on the road.

The Mercedes stopped, blocking all traffic turning eastbound, including the Toyota. The man and woman inside the Mercedes got out of their car and walked toward the Toyota. At the same time, the officer got out of his car, displayed his badge and identified himself as a police officer.

He was then assaulted by the male driver of the car and his passenger, according to Onishi.

Witnesses saw both suspects punch and grab the officer and continue the attack even after he was knocked to the ground, according to Onishi. The two suspects choked, struck and kicked the officer repeatedly, he said.

The suspects fled, but were arrested later in the day and identified as a 33-year-old man and his 31-year-old wife, both from Seattle.