By all accounts -- except that of the Roselle Park Police Department -- Monica Montoya should never have been tripped to the asphalt by a cop, handcuffed and charged with obstruction and resisting arrest.
She had only stopped to assist an officer by interpreting for a woman who had been knocked to the ground by a passing senior citizen vehicle.
Bob Braun takes up the matter in his Ledger column today.
Earlier reports said that the cop in question was a regular customer of the Dunkin' Donuts where she works.
A lot of people witnessed the whole scene, and a lot of people have questions about the conduct of the officers present and the Police Department generally with regard to the incident.
At the very least, it looks like Roselle Park taxpayers are on the way to shelling out for the officer's behavior.
At the worst, any attempt at a coverup by the Police Department will make it look like a racist incident.
You would think town officials would want to get to the bottom of this immediately.
Wouldn't you?
Background --
- June 20: The first Ledger story is no longer available online.
- June 30: "Woman denies guilt in obstruction case"
- July 9: Bob Braun: "One kind act, two criminal charges and lots of questions"
-- Dan Damon
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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
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1 comments:
If you live or work near or in roselle park, you have two options, Help Police Officer Breuninger and get clipped, arrested and get bruises on your face, get charged with obstruction and restisting an arrest... or.. do not help him and get what... shot maybe?
hum...
Apparently the great... Roselle Park Police Dept perceives such behaviour as proper procedure, maybe that happens everyday and we do not know about it...
If they do not start an investigation, that will prove beyond any doubt, that one police Dept in NJ permits officers to abuse at their own discretion the population they are supposed to PROTECT...
Shame on such Police Dept, if they allow this to happen and leave such abusive officer out in the streets... my God!... they do not deserve the uniform that are using, they will be a disgrace to the uniform and to any other police dept in the state of New Jersey. Shame on each an every officer in the force that does not step up and asks for an investigation when he/she KNOWS that some abuse occurs.
When a Police Dept. defends a criminal (officer or not) who committs a crime, they turn that police department into an organized mob.
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