David Cassidy Was Arrested for Drunk Driving by a Cop Named Tom Jones…And He Actually Asked Him “What’s New, Pussycat?”

When you get pulled over for going a few miles per hour over the speed limit or having a broken tail light, a sense of humor sometimes helps to relieve the tension.

But when you get nailed for DRUNK DRIVING, is it appropriate to crack jokes?

"Partridge Family" superstar David Cassidy thought so. Cassidy was pulled over near Albany, New York yesterday morning, and the cop's name was Tom Jones.

And when Cassidy noticed that, he actually asked the cop, quote, "What's new, pussycat"...which, of course, is a CLASSIC song by the SINGER Tom Jones. There's no word whether OFFICER Jones found it funny.

What's NOT funny though, is that Cassidy was driving with a .10% blood-alcohol level and that he's facing FELONY drunk driving charges because of a prior DUI in Florida.

Cassidy is 63. And he thinks he loves you...but then again, it might just be the booze talkin'. Here's his mugshot:

(People)