It aint no joke. 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. 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. You already receive all suggested Justia Opinion Summary Newsletters. He was a good cop and still is a good cop., In a statement, U.S. attorney Craig Carpenito said cops have a difficult and dangerous, job but must perform their duties while respecting the civil rights of the people they are policing. The city of Trenton police officers, the majority of them, do not have any respect for the citizens, they just absolutely do not," Lord said. You dont want to come back here. Ballarotto said his client cooperated with the feds and testified at an administrative law hearing. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. Anthony Villanueva and Drew Inman are charged with assault in the 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. Trenton attorney Robin Lord represents Washington, Singletary and a third man, Saalam Felton, in separate lawsuits. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. 970 Broad Street, 7th Floor Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The false records counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Washington jumped into the canal and swam to the opposite bank, climbing up a steep, brush-lined embankment near a parking lot. 11 Powerful Images At The Womens March 2018, Your email will be shared with newsone.com and subject to its, Every Receipt Proving Candace Owens Is A Con Artist Who Is Following The Money, Celebrating The Black History Of Memorial Day, Never Forget: Obamas Tan Suit Media Firestorm Was 7 Years Ago Today. _____ Submitted January 12, 2021 - Decided Before Judges Haas, Mawla, and Natali. A-4302-18T3 (App. 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. Personally, its devastating to him, Hes got a family. Court: SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, and they were both scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. "It's perfectly proper the way he handled himself," Villanueva's attorney, Jerome Ballarotto, said. Both men are charged with aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Each man did not speak other than to acknowledge the judge when she advised them of their right to remain silent. Anthony Villanueva, then 25, after leaving U.S. District Court in Trenton in an April 2019 file photo.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med. The video shows a fence separated Washington from most of the officers, who had their guns trained on him. I never want to be maced again in my life, Singletary previously told this newspaper. So far no charges have been brought against Villanueva, who was cut loose by TPD last year. Villanueva and Inman, their hands shackled in front of them, appeared Tuesday afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni. But there was no long struggle, the OAL judge found. There are 400+ professionals named "Anthony Villanueva", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 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 returned by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2019, and unsealed today. Dougherty believes the city made a pile of mistakes investigating Villanueva, including not interviewing his client or his supervising sergeant. 10, 2022 - 4:46 PM. The lawsuit faults Parrey, who is no longer police director, for not flagging Villanuevas pattern of unreasonable force.. 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). In the second incident, Villanueva is charged with depriving a man of his civil rights and obstruction of justice. While the man complied with further police demands, Villanueva punched him in the face and Inman tackled him to the ground, according to investigators. They also took Officer Inman into custody at Trenton police headquarters. On Nov. 28, 2017, Villanueva pepper sprayed a prisoner who was confined to a holding cell at Trenton Police Headquarters, according to authorities. On April 9, 2017, Chanzie Washington, of Trenton, fled a routine traffic stop on foot, according to authorities. Im hopeful there will be more to come.. The incident was caught on body camera. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. "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. On Tuesday, Villanueva was arrested by the FBI at his home. Officer Drew Inman and former officer Anthony Villaneuva face six counts of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice in the arrest of suspect Chanzie Washington in 2017 and Quaree Singletary in 2017. Its a travesty for him, but also for the law abiding resident of the city of Trenton, at a time when we need good honest hard-working police officers who really want to the job and at the same time want to go home to their families at night without getting a bullet in the chest. 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. He only had three things. 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. My eyes burned for like two, three days.. Trenton police officers chased him down. 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. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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.. Its a whole family of public servants in the city of Trenton, he said. 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. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. We will have problems if you do.. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Inman is not charged in the Singletary incident. provided by mercer county prosecutors office, Chanzie Washington's mugshot after being arrested April 9, 2017. His father was a police officer. 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., FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie called the cops actions a violation of trust., Civil rights violations are of great concern, particularly when the allegations involve a member of law enforcement, he said in a statement. 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. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction. NBC10 obtained body cam footage of the incident. Inman and Villanueva returned to the police station to prepare reports in connection with the victims arrest. Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Indicted! She Was Just Found in Puerto Rico, Chris Rock to Address Will Smith's Slap in First Stand-Up Since Last Year's Oscars, New Jersey Bill Seeks to Ban Sale of Baby Wipes. EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Valley Forge Military Academy Cadet Speaks To CBS3 About Alleged Verbal, Physical Abuse At Hands Of Students. Ballarotto plans to hire a police expert to testify that the officer's physicality was within the law. Chanzie Washington was pummeled by cops during an arrest in April 2017. Washington and Salaam Felton, now of St. Charles, Missouri, also claimed in separate lawsuits they were beaten to a pulp by Villanueva. TRENTON, NJ - Two Trenton police officers have been arrested by federal agents and charged with assault and obstruction of justice, authorities announced on Tuesday. Racist Ex-University Of Kentucky 'Karen' Sophia Rosing Is Charged For Assaulting Black Student, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers. All the gun-toting drug dealers in Trenton are all gonna be happy tonight that Anthonys no longer a police officer, Ballarotto said. First published on April 23, 2019 / 6:49 PM. The Trenton Police Department has punished a number of officers accused of conduct unbecoming a public servant since the turn of the century, culminating with the recent firing of patrol. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Almost immediately thereafter, defendant Villanueva strode quickly down the corridor after victim 2, towards Cell 7, carrying a can of Oleoresin Capsicum, also known as OC spray or pepper spray., It goes on to say Villanueva reached through the bars and sprayed OC spray into Cell 7, while victim 2 attempted to shield himself with a mattress.. Trenton, NJ. 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.. 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. U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to todays indictment. Scott Krasny, Inmans attorney, declined to comment. Quaree Singletary, of Ewing, claims he was physically assaulted by Villanueva in lockup at Trenton Police headquarters on Nov. 28, 2017, and suffers from serious bodily injuries to his brain, head, face and body.. He was also seen walking coming down the hall shaking the pepper spray as he approached Singletarys cell. |. Without issuing any warning or command, defendant Villanueva moved swiftly towards victim 1 and punched victim 1 in the face, the indictment states. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Mark Kieffer Jr., was not charged in the indictment and not mentioned by name. 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. Quaree Singletary engaged in a struggle with city cop Anthony Villanueva after Villanueva abruptly ended Singletary's phone call to relatives. The unsecured bonds didnt require the cops or their families to plunk down cash or property to secure their releases, but they are required to show up for arraignment Wednesday morning. Trimboli & Prusinowski, LLC, attorneys for respondent City of Trenton .