The incident was recorded on other officers body cams. 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. She sounded indignant as she discussed her decades-long struggle to help clients who described being beaten up and abused by TPD officers. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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 Video footage from inside police lockup showed the entire struggle, beginning in the phone room when Villanueva attempted to end a call Singletary was on with relatives after he was arrested and taken to headquarters on a warrant. A New Jersey appeals court has affirmed the 2018 firing of a Trenton police officer terminated for pepper spraying a suspect inside a jail cell. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. 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. 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. Personally, its devastating to him, Hes got a family. His father was a police officer. with assault on a police officer, which required that Q.S. Singletary and his attorneys may be banking on power in numbers. Anthony Villanueva, Trenton Police Department Adam L. Wills, Pemberton Twp. The indictment recounts the chase from start to finish, as Washington ended up at the banks of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. A New Jersey appeals court has affirmed the 2018 firing of a Trenton police officer terminated for pepper spraying a suspect inside a jail cell. 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. Man In Easter Bunny Suit Involved In Florida Brawl Wanted In New Jersey For Car Burglaries. Villanueva has several other issues pending from his four years on the Trenton police force, which all occurred in 2017. All Rights Reserved. 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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Body camera footage showed Villanueva tracking down, tackling and punching Felton in the head twice from behind following a foot chase in March 2017. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction while Inman is charged with one count of obstruction in connection to the incident. Trenton Police department was aware of the the investigation and cooperated fully with federal authorities. Villanueva was fired last summer after repeated instances of excessive force, and three of his accuser have since filed suit against him and the department. They both face more than 30 years in prison if convicted on all counts. To justify their actions against the victim, Inman and Villanueva prepared and submitted false and fraudulent reports, in which they attempted to portray the victim as the aggressor and an ongoing threat. 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. 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. Theres no evidence that he was punched at that side of his face.. He allegedly later completed an incident report that contained numerous false statements to conceal his conduct. He didnt have a baton. The appeals court fully backed the OAL judge, Jeff Masin, in his findings that Villanueva was properly terminated. The former officer, Anthony Villanueva, was indicted by federal government for the 2017 incident on accusations he deprived the man of his civil rights. Im hopeful there will be more to come.. They are charged with violating Washington's civil rights and falsifying police reports to characterize him as the aggressor. Family members and supporters sat stoically at the back of the courtroom; they declined to comment on the governments case against their loved ones, letting the attorneys to the talking after the hearing. Villanueva came up from Washingtons side and punched him in the face while Inman tackled him to the ground. Trenton, GA Cureton , Phillip Lebron 2/15/1977 9846 W Ridge Trail Rd - Soddy Daisy, TN Curington , Jessica Lee 9/28/1979 Villanueva, who graduated from the police academy in 2015, was caught on tape pummeling Washington as he stood with his hands up near a chain-link fence as Inman and Kieffer joined in the clash. 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The indictment also recounted Villanuevas Nov. 28, 2017 encounter with Quaree Singletary inside TPD headquarters. Main Office: Villanueva arrested Felton in March 2017 following a foot pursuit following a reported shooting. You can explore additional available newsletters here. The gun-toting drug dealers in Trenton are probably throwing a party tonight since he was taken off the street. That came one day after they made their initial court appearances and were each released on $50,000 bail. While the man was complying with further police commands, Villanueva approached the man and punched him in the face and Inman tackled the man to the ground. 970 Broad Street, 7th Floor Villanueva, who was eventually fired by the city department and is fighting to get his job back, had been pulled off the streets and re-assigned to lockup following a separate altercation months before with Chanzie Washington. The whole scuffle was caught on surveillance cameras and the footage was released to The Trentonian. 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. Mark Kieffer Jr., was not charged in the indictment and not mentioned by name. |. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The false records counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. (Image via YouTube) TRENTON, NJ - Two Trenton police officers have been arrested by. Washington also got decked in the face by a Villanueva haymaker after he appeared to surrender to cops from behind a chain-link fence after a long chase. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, adopted by the states Civil Service Commission, Villanueva and Trenton police officer Drew Inman. Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman and ex-officer Anthony Villanueva are accused of assaulting a man who was complying with their demands. / CBS Philadelphia. Inman, who was creeping from behind, tackled Washington to the ground as both officers repeatedly punched him while he screamed out in pain, Stop hitting me in the face, and youve got my hands, according to the indictment. The FBI was investigating Inman, former TPD officer Anthony Villanueva, and Mark Kieffer III in connection with the April 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. At no point during this encounter with the defendant did the plaintiff strike, attempt to strike, or intend to strike any of the defendant police officers or any other officer or the law, the lawsuit said. Attorney Robin Lord is seeing her client Chanzie Washington's claims of police brutality vindicated. As Felton was walking on a street, not running, Villanueva ran up behind him and punched him in the head several times before tackling him to the ground. Stephen Varn, who is serving as acting police director while Lt. Chris Doyle is on vacation, confirmed Inmans arrest at TPD headquarters. The appropriate departmental administrative actions will be taken, he said. They are charged with violating Washington's civil rights and falsifying police. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction, in connection with that incident. Lord was pleased somebody from law enforcement was paying attention and holding these officers accountable for their criminal conduct. In his report, Villanueva claimed he told Singletary he needed to end the phone call and that, As I began to walk toward Singletary, he immediately began to tense up. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Aerotek Mark Anthony Villanueva Date published: Jan 28, 2021. The counts against both officers stem from a traffic stop on April 9, 2017, in Trenton. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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.. The charges carry up to 10 and 20 years in prison, respectively, and a maximum $250,000 fine if the cops are convicted, the feds said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. While the man complied with further police demands, Villanueva punched him in the face and Inman tackled him to the ground, according to investigators. The video appeared to show Singletary slapping Villanuevas hand away from the phone. Cannon , Che' Anthony Berry 10/29/1996 2105 Foust St - Chattanooga, TN Cannon , Courtney Leighann 8/15/1991 3254 Plaza Cir - Chattanooga, TN Cannon , Ira 10/20/1996 . And then you have the old regime supervising these people. An official website of the United States government. . 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. Official websites use .gov Scott Krasny, Inmans attorney, declined to comment. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A police aide rushed to try to help subdue Singletary, who allegedly elbowed Villanueva during the altercation. Kieffer III, the son of Capt. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. 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. be arrested and re-processed. 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. 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. TRENTON, NJ - Two Trenton police officers have been arrested by federal agents and charged with assault and obstruction of justice, authorities announced on Tuesday. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On April 9, 2017, a Trenton man involved in a routine traffic stop fled in his vehicle and then on foot and was pursued by Trenton police officers. The attorney argued that Trenton Police leave their officers unequipped far too often. 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. Villanueva is also charged with depriving a second man of his civil rights in a separate incident, and with obstruction related to that second incident. EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Valley Forge Military Academy Cadet Speaks To CBS3 About Alleged Verbal, Physical Abuse At Hands Of Students. But there was no long struggle, the OAL judge found. I believe that if my client gets a fair hearing he wont be charged.. Investigators said he pepper sprayed a defendant while in a holding cell area of Trenton police headquarters. Both defendants are charged with one count aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Michigan Department of Corrections via AP Law enforcement officials on Tuesday named Anthony Dwayne McRae, a 43-year-old resident of Lansing, Michigan, as the suspect in the overnight shooting at Michigan State University that took the lives of three students and wounded five others. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. There are 400+ professionals named "Anthony Villanueva", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It burns. Video of the incident showed Singletary strolling unaccompanied down the hall leading to the jail cells and entering the cell. The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. 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. 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. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its inbred in them. 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. Mayor Reed Gusciora said he was made aware of the arrests but declined to comment beyond that. In the footage below, the officers are heard yelling at Washington. The video shows a fence separated Washington from most of the officers, who had their guns trained on him. Like our content?