The Singletary incident was included in a federal civil rights case the U.S. Attorneys Office brought against Villanueva and Trenton police officer Drew Inman. The indictment says the booking photo, obtained by The Trentonian, showed Washington, who has sued over the beatdown, with a busted, bloodied lip, nose and swelling and brusing around his left eye. 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. He was also seen walking coming down the hall shaking the pepper spray as he approached Singletarys cell. The indictment describes the assault like this: Victim 2 walked calmly, unescorted, into a cell denoted in Trenton Police Department records as Cell 7, and the door to Cell 7 began to close behind him, locking him in. 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. Court: SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION. "In this situation, he did not elect to draw his weapon, it stayed in the holster and he brought the guy down to the ground and handcuffed him," Ballarotto said. 2 Trenton Police Officers Facing Federal Charges After - CBS News He was assisted that night by a police aide (the aide). Bongiovanni ordered the government to turn over to the defense the names of any witnesses and victims so there wasnt any confusion. Washington and Salaam Felton, now of St. Charles, Missouri, also claimed in separate lawsuits they were beaten to a pulp by Villanueva. Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing, U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. 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. 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The arrest of Inman happened a day after the city introduced new police director Sheilah Coley. All Rights Reserved. Passaic Clinton, Hunterdon Trenton, Mercer Tuckerton, Ocean Union Beach, Monmouth Union City, Hudson Union Township, . Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction, in connection with that incident. Villanueva arrested Felton in March 2017 following a foot pursuit following a reported shooting. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. 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. Body camera footage showed Villanueva tracking down, tackling and punching Felton in the head twice from behind following a foot chase in March 2017. Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! The federal case against them was initially scheduled for trial in 2020, but has been repeatedly postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As I reached for the phone, Singletary smacked my hand out of the way.. Main Office: 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. The counts against both officers stem from a traffic stop on April 9, 2017, in Trenton. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Footage from the incident that was obtained by The Trentonian via public records request can be seen below. A-4302-18T3 (App. Villanueva, who has since left the police department, is also charged with assaulting a prisoner in a separate incident. 3/5/2023 6529843 reed anthony 3/5/2023 6391927 reyes ignacio 3/5/2023 6553956 rodriguez jonatan 3/5/2023 6547498 salinas ricardo . Accountability starts from the top.. On Tuesday, Villanueva was arrested by the FBI at his home. On April 9, 2017, Chanzie Washington, of Trenton, fled a routine traffic stop on foot, according to authorities. Trenton:609-989-2190 The maximum fine for each of the charges is $250,000. Her first official day isnt till May 1. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). Scott Krasny, Inmans attorney, declined to comment. That came one day after they made their initial court appearances and were each released on $50,000 bail. Villanueva and Inman knowingly made numerous misrepresentations, false statements and omissions in an effort to portray Victim 1 as the aggressor and an ongoing threat, the indictment says. According toTrentonian,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 within a week, but Inman remained on the streets for more than a month before being placed on restriction. As of last month,Villanueva was suspended without pay. The Newnan Times-Herald. 400+ "Anthony Villanueva" profiles | LinkedIn The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, and they were both scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. The lawsuit faults Parrey, who is no longer police director, for not flagging Villanuevas pattern of unreasonable force.. The only way to eradicate the excessive abuse in the Trenton police department is by firing them all and starting all over again, she said. FBI Arrests 2 Trenton Cops For Assault, Obstruction Mark Kieffer Jr., was not charged in the indictment and not mentioned by name. He didnt have a flashlight. The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. Washington ran from police during a traffic stop and when officers caught up with him at a fence, they ordered him to raise his arms and then climb over the fence, authorities allege. Incidents like these erode the publics confidence in law enforcement, and make policing harder for everyone whose job it is to keep our communities safe., Civil Rights violations are of great concern, particularly when the allegations involve a member of law enforcement, FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. 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. Villanueva and Inman were each ordered released on $50,000 unsecured bonds with conditions. Both Villanueva and Inman were charged in April 2019 with aiding and abetting each other in depriving the civil rights of Chanzie Washington in April 2017. FAX: 609-989-2275. Div. Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Anthony Villanueva, then 25, after leaving U.S. District Court in Trenton in an April 2019 file photo.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med. 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. TPD Officer Drew Inman, center, was caught on tape punching a suspect in the face while other cops placed him in cuffs. 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.. Surrounded by police officers, Washington complied when told to raise his hands, according to authorities. The incident was caught on body camera. 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. Villanueva stated he intended to charge Q.S. The violation of civil rights counts each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. HCSO-Criminal Investigative Division-Open Warrant Info FUll List Mayor Reed Gusciora said he was made aware of the arrests but declined to comment beyond that. Aerotek Mark Anthony Villanueva With your experience, Im sure youre familiar with your Fifth Amendment rights, Bongiovanni said during the 10-minute court appearance. In the footage below, the officers are heard yelling at Washington. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.. On Nov. 28, 2017, Villanueva pepper sprayed a prisoner who was confined to a holding cell at Trenton Police Headquarters, according to authorities. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Villanueva claimed Singletary assaulted him during a phone call from jail, then had a long struggle to get him back in a jail cell and handcuffed, forcing him to use pepper spray. Inman and Villanueva returned to the police station to prepare reports in connection with the victims arrest. 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. One of the officers, who has since left the Trenton Police Department, is charged with additional civil rights and obstruction counts for allegedly assaulting a second defendant while in a holding cell at Trenton Police Headquarters. Search the most comprehensive statewide database of police use of force in the U.S. Its inbred all over. IN THE MATTER OF VILLANUEVA - leagle.com Anthony Villanueva leaves the federal courthouse in Trenton in this April 2019 file photo.
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