Like our content? They both face more than 30 years in prison if convicted on all counts. He didnt have a baton. The indictment also recounted Villanuevas Nov. 28, 2017 encounter with Quaree Singletary inside TPD headquarters. Villanueva also faces charges in connection to another incident in which he allegedly pepper sprayed a defendant in a holding cell. But there was no long struggle, the OAL judge found. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. A number of officers went around to the other side of the fence, including one officer equipped with a body camera. Singletary, who also sued Villanueva and the department over his treatment that day, told the newspaper in a previous interview his eyes burned for like two, three days after he was maced. 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. FAX: 856-968-4917
Villanueva has several other issues pending from his four years on the Trenton police force, which all occurred in 2017. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction. 10, 2022 - 4:46 PM. It aint no joke. The indictment recounts the chase from start to finish, as Washington ended up at the banks of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Ballarotto said his client is being unfairly vilified as a rogue cop, and he believes the ex-TPDer will get cleared. Thats his gun, his physical strength and his courage.. Inman, sporting the shaved-head look, was still attired in his Trenton Police garb of a black polo shirt and cargo pants. Docket #: 1879852 Defendant: CHANDLER , ANTHONY Charge: DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Arresting Officer: MORTON, STONEY #012, Complaint #: A 029285G 2022 Arrest Date: 7/3/2022 Presiding Judge: ABLES, LARRY Division: 3 Court Room: 3 CJUS8023 Hamilton County General Sessions Court - Criminal Division Trial Docket 3/1/2023 Page No: 3 ar_Master_Docket provided by mercer county prosecutors office, Chanzie Washington's mugshot after being arrested April 9, 2017. Anthony Villanueva, then 25, after leaving U.S. District Court in Trenton in an April 2019 file photo.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med. You dont want to come back here. 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. 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. It was not immediately clear if that charge was dropped. Official websites use .gov Villanuevas lawyer said the only people who should be happy about the charges are gang members, gun carriers, and drug sellers. Camden:856-757-5026
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. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. 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. A lock ( The incident was caught on body camera. 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. Sounds likeVillanueva was under the misconception that police solidarity may is the same if you are a person of color. "It's perfectly proper the way he handled himself," Villanueva's attorney, Jerome Ballarotto, said. Singletary was charged with assaulting Villanueva. Inman and Villanueva were two of the officers caught on tape appearing to throw blows after Washington surrendered following a wild foot chase through the city. The FBI was investigating Inman, former TPD officer Anthony Villanueva, and Mark Kieffer III in connection with the April 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. His father was a police officer. On Tuesday, Villanueva was arrested by the FBI at his home. The sound picks up after Washington is already on the ground in the first two videos. When the police caught him, Washington was brought to the ground, and was then punched several times by three different police officers: Drew Inman, Antony Villanueva andMark Kieffer III. 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.. Another officer ordered Washington to climb over the fence toward him. 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Man In Easter Bunny Suit Involved In Florida Brawl Wanted In New Jersey For Car Burglaries. Stephen Varn, who is serving as acting police director while Lt. Chris Doyle is on vacation, confirmed Inmans arrest at TPD headquarters. I know its a small community, the judge told the defendants. 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. 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. Singletary and his attorneys may be banking on power in numbers. California residents do not sell my data request. with assault on a police officer, which required that Q.S. Villanuevas attorney, Jerome Ballarotto, insists his client didnt punch the man however. 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. Villanueva later completed an incident report that contained numerous false statements designed to conceal his unlawful conduct and improper treatment of the prisoner. Ballarotto plans to hire a police expert to testify that the officer's physicality was within the law. Citations Copy Citation. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Its inbred all over. Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing, Carpenito said. Washington complied, according to the indictment, and placed his hands on the fence. Its inbred in internal affairs. Former officer Anthony Villanueva and current officer Drew Inman appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon. My eyes burned for like two, three days.. They are charged with violating Washington's civil rights and falsifying police reports to characterize him as the aggressor. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). 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. 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. Villanueva filed a written report later that night setting forth his account of what happened next. The charges against both men stem from an April 2017 traffic stop in Trenton. Both Inman and Villanueva were granted unsecured bail on Tuesday, meaning they can go home. 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. 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. 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. He allegedly later completed an incident report that contained numerous false statements to conceal his conduct. "It's a question of respect. Inman and Villanueva returned to the police station to prepare reports in connection with the victims arrest. Video of the incident showed Singletary strolling unaccompanied down the hall leading to the jail cells and entering the cell. On April 9, 2017, Chanzie Washington, of Trenton, fled a routine traffic stop on foot, according to authorities. First published on April 23, 2019 / 6:49 PM. Accountability starts from the top.. Scott Krasny, Inmans attorney, declined to comment. 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. Anthony Villanueva and Drew Inman are charged with assault in the 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. 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. The former officer, Anthony Villanueva, was. Our journalism needs your support. 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. 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. Villanueva, who was standing on the same side of the chain-link fence, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the feds alleged. In the second incident, Villanueva is charged with depriving a man of his civil rights and obstruction of justice. The attorney argued that Trenton Police leave their officers unequipped far too often. Main Office:
The counts against both officers stem from a traffic stop on April 9, 2017, in Trenton. Villanueva and Inman appeared in federal court Tuesday. Villanueva, who has since left the police department, is also charged with assaulting a prisoner in a separate incident. The capital city cops are accused of using excessive force against suspects Chanzie Washington and Quaree Singletary, during separate arrests, in April and November 2017. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. Anthony Villanueva leaves the federal courthouse in Trenton in this April 2019 file photo. The false records counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.