The violation of civil rights counts each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Villanueva faces additional charges for allegedly assaulting a prisoner who was in a holding cell. Villanuevas lawyer said the only people who should be happy about the charges are gang members, gun carriers, and drug sellers. Singletary and Villanueva who at last word was being looked at by the feds over allegations of repeated use of excessive force got into it with each other in police lockup over a phone call. But there was no long struggle, the OAL judge found. provided by mercer county prosecutors office, Chanzie Washington's mugshot after being arrested April 9, 2017. Villanueva arrested Felton in March 2017 following a foot pursuit following a reported shooting. Our journalism needs your support. If you encounter them, you need to promptly notify your [attorneys]. Search the most comprehensive statewide database of police use of force in the U.S. While the man complied with further police demands, Villanueva punched him in the face and Inman tackled him to the ground, according to investigators. DOCKET NO. Sounds likeVillanueva was under the misconception that police solidarity may is the same if you are a person of color. Court: SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION. Without issuing any warning or command, defendant Villanueva moved swiftly towards victim 1 and punched victim 1 in the face, the indictment states. 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. But they will be back in court Wednesday morning where both men are expected to plead not guilty and go to trial later this year. Main Office: Personally, its devastating to him, Hes got a family. 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.. 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). Police Department Kanifah M. Wood, Trenton Police Department Eric W. Woodrow, West Windsor Police Department. Chanzie Washington was pummeled by cops during an arrest in April 2017. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Trenton officer, ex-colleague facing civil rights charges - Inquirer.com 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. The former officer, Anthony Villanueva, was indicted by federal government for the 2017 incident on accusations he deprived the man of his civil rights. FAX: 609-989-2275. Badge, gun, diamond ring: Mercer County Police Academy graduation - nj TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Two Trenton police officers are now in trouble with the law. All the gun-toting drug dealers in Trenton are all gonna be happy tonight that Anthonys no longer a police officer, Ballarotto said. He didnt have a taser, he said. NBC10 obtained body cam footage of the incident.. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). Singletary was charged with assaulting Villanueva. California residents do not sell my data request. FBI arrests Trenton police officer at TPD headquarters in excessive Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction while Inman is charged with one count of obstruction in connection to the incident. Trenton attorney Robin Lord represents Washington, Singletary and a third man, Saalam Felton, in separate lawsuits. 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. Both men are charged with aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. The man was eventually surrounded by the officers and complied when he was ordered to put his hands in the air, officials said. Scott Krasny, Inmans attorney, declined to comment. 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. Villanueva was fired by the police department, and is the subject of three excessive force lawsuits, according to The Trentonian. Ballarotto plans to hire a police expert to testify that the officer's physicality was within the law. Trenton officer, ex-colleague plead not guilty to civil rights charges He is also charged with additional civil rights and obstruction counts in connection to a separate incident in November 2017. Accountability starts from the top.. Washington complied, according to the indictment, and placed his hands on the fence. 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. Villanueva grabbed a bottle of mace from the detention area. However, the lawsuit painted Singletary as a blameless victim. 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. Surrounded by police officers, Washington complied when told to raise his hands, according to authorities. While Washington was complying, Villanueva punched him in the face. Man In Easter Bunny Suit Involved In Florida Brawl Wanted In New Jersey For Car Burglaries. FBI arrests Trenton police officer at TPD, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), FBI arrests Trenton police officer at TPD headquarters in excessive force investigation, Fox News scandal, cable news, and how gullible we all are (JEFF EDELTSTEIN COLUMN), Tales of El Moreno in Puriscal Costa Rica (L.A. 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Villanueva, who has since left the police department, is also charged with assaulting a prisoner in a separate incident. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva were charged in a six-count indictment two years after an incident in which they knocked a Trenton man to the ground during an arrest, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division - Unpublished Opinions, New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division - Unpublished Opinions Decisions. They are charged with violating Washington's civil rights and falsifying police reports to characterize him as the aggressor. Two Trenton officers involved in arresting Washington after a foot chase in April of 2017 are now facing federal charges. On April 9, 2017 in Trenton, New Jersey, Chanzie Washington allegedly led cops on a car chase and then ran on foot. Those cops beat the living sh** out of Rodney King, and those cops overstepped their bounds. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. The incident was recorded on other officers body cams. 400+ "Anthony Villanueva" profiles | LinkedIn The charges against both men stem from an April 2017 traffic stop in Trenton. Authorities said Villanueva punched the driver in the face and Inman tackled him. 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. Video of the incident showed Singletary strolling unaccompanied down the hall leading to the jail cells and entering the cell. District of New Jersey Swung his arm around his neck and brought him to the ground, he said. You dont want to come back here. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. Theres no evidence that he was punched at that side of his face.. 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. "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. Inman is not charged in the Singletary incident. Another officer ordered Washington to climb over the fence toward him. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Two Trenton Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Violations Villanueva came up from Washingtons side and punched him in the face while Inman tackled him to the ground. . Singletary, describing the horrible burning pain he experienced after getting maced, explained he asked to go to the hospital but was instead given water to flush out his eyes and throat. Its inbred in the academy. Inman, sporting the shaved-head look, was still attired in his Trenton Police garb of a black polo shirt and cargo pants. 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.. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, Two Trenton Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Violations, Obstruction of Justice, U.S. Attorneys Office Reaches Settlement with Ocean County Nail Salon to End Disability Discrimination, Statement Of U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Former Hillsborough Township School District Official Admits To Paying Kickbacks For Illegal Overtime Payments, Two Trenton Police Officers Charged With Civil Rights Violations, Obstruction of Justice. Citations Copy Citation. The false records counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman and ex-officer Anthony Villanueva are accused of assaulting a man who was complying with their demands. Officers try to subdue Quaree Singletary during a lengthy struggle in police lockup. The arrest of Inman happened a day after the city introduced new police director Sheilah Coley. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Have a question about Government Services? (VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED). Like our content? TRENTON - A third man who says he was beat up by fired Trenton cop Anthony Villanueva has finally filed suit against the former cop and ex-police director Ernest Parrey Jr., who is. Villanueva filed a written report later that night setting forth his account of what happened next. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Capt. All rights reserved, Philly POPS Musicians Disappointed' by Recent Moves, Trump Supporters Get Parole in Philadelphia Weapons Case, Check Your Change! TRENTON, N.J. Two Trenton police officers have been charged with civil rights and obstruction of justice charges for allegedly assaulting a man they were arresting, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today. Date published: Jan 28, 2021. That came one day after they made their initial court appearances and were each released on $50,000 bail. I feel that although [the arrests] are a positive step toward change, its too little too late, she said. All say they were beaten up by Villanueva. 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. A number of officers went around to the other side of the fence, including one officer equipped with a body camera. This is not a Rodney King situation, he said. Trenton, GA Cureton , Phillip Lebron 2/15/1977 9846 W Ridge Trail Rd - Soddy Daisy, TN Curington , Jessica Lee 9/28/1979 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. Its a whole family of public servants in the city of Trenton, he said. Attorney Robin Lord is seeing her client Chanzie Washington's claims of police brutality vindicated. The video shows a fence separated Washington from most of the officers, who had their guns trained on him. He was fired in June 2018. 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.. TRENTON, NJ - Two Trenton police officers have been arrested by federal agents and charged with assault and obstruction of justice, authorities announced on Tuesday. Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing, Carpenito said.