with assault on a police officer, which required that Q.S. It burns. A lock ( So far no charges have been brought against Villanueva, who was cut loose by TPD last year. Kieffer III, the son of Capt. The three civil suits, which name Villanueva, police officials and the city, are all pending, according to attorney Robin Lord who filed them with Clifford Bidlingmaier. The gun-toting drug dealers in Trenton are probably throwing a party tonight since he was taken off the street. Anthony Villanueva and Drew Inman are charged with assault in the 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. Villanueva appealed his firing to the states Office of Administrative Law (OAL), which in May 2019, following testimony against him from fellow officers, upheld the termination. You're all set! He didnt have a baton. The indictment says Villanueva also lied on his report, a copy of which was obtained by this newspaper, intending to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation. He didnt have a flashlight. However, the lawsuit painted Singletary as a blameless victim. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. The appropriate departmental administrative actions will be taken, he said. TPD officers were on the other side waiting for Washington, who immediately gave himself up and raised his hands in the air, the indictment says. TPD Officer Drew Inman, center, was caught on tape punching a suspect in the face while other cops placed him in cuffs. I snuck up from behind him and just punched him, he just fell, Villanueva says, mocking Felton by quoting him, You didnt got to punch me man.. Villanueva, who has since left the police department, is also charged with assaulting a prisoner in a separate incident. They cannot travel outside of the U.S., must surrender passports and firearms and avoid contact with victims and witnesses in the case, and with each other, when theyre outside the presence of their attorneys. According to Trentonian , the Trenton Police Department is setting up the Hispanic cop, Officer Anthony Villanueva, "as the sole fall guy" and "Villanueva was placed on restricted duty. As Singletary headed toward his cell and the door closed behind him, the cop sprayed him with the stinging mace, affecting nearby prisoners. The video appeared to show Singletary slapping Villanuevas hand away from the phone. Villanueva described it this way in a report after he said he told Singletary he needed to end the phone call: As I began to walk toward Singletary, he immediately began to tense up. In a rare interview with a former cop still facing criminal charges for alleged use of excessive force, NJ Advance Media spoke to Villanueva who said he stands by his actions and followed his training and New Jersey Attorney Generals guidelines on the use of force each time. DOCKET NO. Villanueva and Inman appeared in federal court Tuesday. Like our content? The two appeared to exchange words in the soundless video moments before tempers flared. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.. The department found Villanueva violated policy, and charged him internally with conduct unbecoming a public employee and misconduct for the improper use of the spray, and later submitting a false report about the incident. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. One part of the video shows Inman punching the suspect before bragging to the person recording the video, saying, I beat the living sh*t he stops when the other officer points to his body camera. Court: SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION. Inman, sporting the shaved-head look, was still attired in his Trenton Police garb of a black polo shirt and cargo pants. The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. The federal case against them was initially scheduled for trial in 2020, but has been repeatedly postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. All the charges against Felton were later dropped. The arresting departments are noted: Coweta County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), Chattahoochee Hills Police Department (CHPD . Dougherty believes the city made a pile of mistakes investigating Villanueva, including not interviewing his client or his supervising sergeant. Bongiovanni ordered the government to turn over to the defense the names of any witnesses and victims so there wasnt any confusion. Inman and Villanueva then punched the man numerous times, while he cried out in pain, and told officers, stop hitting me in my face, and youve got my hands.. Villanueva filed 14 use-of-force reports in a two-year period, higher than the statewide average of 4.1 use-of-force reports per officer over a five-year period, according to NJ.coms reporting on statewide use-of-force records. To justify their actions, authorities said Inman and Villanueva prepared false and fraudulent reports in which they portrayed Washington as the aggressor and an ongoing threat. Villanueva went back to headquarters to help process Washington. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. Singletary, who is no stranger to cops having been arrested multiple times, told The Trentonian in a previous interview he remembered asking Villanueva why he ended his call. Trenton:609-989-2190 The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Officer Drew Inman and former city Officer Anthony Villanueva entered their pleas Wednesday during their arraignments in federal court. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, New Jersey, are charged in a six-count indictment that was handed up last Thursday by a federal grand jury and unsealed Tuesday. provided by mercer county prosecutors office, Chanzie Washington's mugshot after being arrested April 9, 2017. Felton said in suit that he was beaten so badly during his arrest he suffered bleeding on the brain and other injuries. I never want to be maced again in my life, Singletary previously told this newspaper. On April 9, 2017 in Trenton, New Jersey, Chanzie Washington allegedly led cops on a car chase and then ran on foot. Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, and Inman, 25, of Hamilton, are both charged with one count of aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Jerome Ballarotto, Villanuevas attorney, confirmed the FBI went to his clients house in Ewing around 6 a.m. and arrested him at gunpoint, terrorizing his wife and children. You can explore additional available newsletters here. Singletary picked up a bed mat to shield himself from the mace, pushing past the cop as he ran toward the detention area, before he was finally retained and handcuffed. A Trenton police officer and a former colleague accused of assaulting a man they were arresting have pleaded not guilty to civil rights and obstruction of justice counts. The former officer and his attorney, George Dougherty, then went to the state courts Appellate Division, which on Thursday sided with the OAL judges 40-page decision. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Official websites use .gov A Trenton police officer and a former colleague accused of assaulting a man they were arresting have both been charged with obstruction of justice and violating the man's civil rights Skip to content Sunday, December 25, 2022 TRENTON A Trenton police officer and a former colleague accused of assaulting a man during an arrest have pleaded not guilty to civil rights violations and obstruction of justice charges. See Average Property Tax Bill In Lawrence Township, Per New Data, Catholics In Diocese Of Trenton Can Eat Meat On St. Patrick's Day, Head-Shaving Event At Lawrence Restaurant To Raise Funds For Cancer, Office Furniture & Soft Seating Liquidation Sale, NJ Camp Fairs at Menlo Park Mall Mar 4, 2023 - FREE to Attend (12-3PM), Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, AMC Theatres In NJ To Base Pricing Off Where You Sit, The Poop On Free-Range Cats And Your Lawn And Garden [Block Talk]. In the footage below, the officers are heard yelling at Washington. An official website of the United States government. All say they were beaten up by Villanueva. And then you have the old regime supervising these people. TRENTON City police officer Drew Inman was arrested Tuesday morning by the FBI as part of an investigation targeting former and current officers over allegations of use of excessive force. Investigators say Inman and Villanueva prepared and submitted false and fraudulent reports in order to justify their actions and portray the man as the aggressor and an ongoing threat. An anonymous cop from the department toldTrentonian that the police department is painting Anthony as the villain., Villanueva has hired an attorney who said,Ive already made plans to defend him on these charges, but theres no sense putting on my battle gear before the battle starts. A Trenton police officer and his former colleague have pleaded not guilty to federal charges they violated a man's civil rights during a violent traffic stop. A number of officers went around to the other side of the fence, including one officer equipped with a body camera. At no time during this encounter did the plaintiff harass, or threaten the defendants, nor engage in any conduct, which in any way justified the excessive force used by defendants.. Villanueva grabbed a bottle of mace from the detention area. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). All rights reserved, Philly POPS Musicians Disappointed' by Recent Moves, Trump Supporters Get Parole in Philadelphia Weapons Case, Check Your Change! The Newnan Times-Herald. Villanueva argued in his appeal, among other arguments, that the OAL erred by finding that he violated state policy on using pepper spray, and Trenton police failed to conduct an adequate investigation before terminating his employment. TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Two Trenton police officers are now in trouble with the law. be arrested and re-processed. His report on that incident included a number of false statements in an attempt to hide his unlawful conduct and improper treatment of the prisoner, authorities said. Trenton police officers chased him down. The beginning of the videos dont include sound until after Washington is struck, so it is unclear what led the officers to tackle Washington to the ground. FAX: 609-989-2275. The videos showing a now-fired Trenton police officer punching and tackling a man with his hands up and pepper-spraying another man in a locked jail cell dont lie, but Anthony Villanueva contends they dont tell the whole story. The video also captured Villanueva bragging about the arrest later on a phone call. Both Inman and Villanueva were granted unsecured bail on Tuesday, meaning they can go home. Accountability starts from the top.. Villanueva wore all black, his lean frame topped by a mop of curly jet black hair. On Nov. 28, 2017, Villanueva pepper sprayed a prisoner who was confined to a holding cell at Trenton Police Headquarters, according to authorities. California residents do not sell my data request. Villanueva, who was standing on the same side of the chain-link fence, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the feds alleged. Its inbred all over. The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. He was assisted that night by a police aide (the aide). Jan. 28, 2021) From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research. Its a whole family of public servants in the city of Trenton, he said. 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