The attorney argued that Trenton Police leave their officers unequipped far too often. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. On April 9, 2017, Chanzie Washington, of Trenton, fled a routine traffic stop on foot, according to authorities. Inman was arrested at the Trenton Police Station Tuesday morning and is now suspended. Anthony Villanueva leaves the federal courthouse in Trenton in this April 2019 file photo. Body cam footage obtained by NBC10 shows the man on the ground and crying out in pain while officers are on top of him. There are 400+ professionals named "Anthony Villanueva", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Its inbred in them. This is not a Rodney King situation, he said. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction. Sounds likeVillanueva was under the misconception that police solidarity may is the same if you are a person of color. 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. Anthony Villanueva, Trenton Police Department Adam L. Wills, Pemberton Twp. 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. 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. 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. The charges against both men stem from an April 2017 traffic stop in Trenton. Villanueva came up from Washingtons side and punched him in the face while Inman tackled him to the ground. The whole scuffle was caught on surveillance cameras and the footage was released to The Trentonian. While Washington was complying, Villanueva punched him in the face. Date published: Jan 28, 2021. All say they were beaten up by Villanueva. Sitting next to their attorneys, they remained quiet as U.S. assistant attorney Joseph Gribko briefly recapped the case against them. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. All rights reserved, Philly POPS Musicians Disappointed' by Recent Moves, Trump Supporters Get Parole in Philadelphia Weapons Case, Check Your Change! TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Two Trenton police officers are now in trouble with the law. Yo, why would you do that, he recalled saying. They also took Officer Inman into custody at Trenton police headquarters. The FBI was investigating Inman, former TPD officer Anthony Villanueva, and Mark Kieffer III in connection with the April 2017 arrest of Chanzie Washington. Officers try to subdue Quaree Singletary during a lengthy struggle in police lockup. So far no charges have been brought against Villanueva, who was cut loose by TPD last year. Katz & Dougherty, LLC, attorneys for appellant Anthony Villanueva (George T. Dougherty , on the briefs). Former Trenton police officer Anthony Villanueva, left, when he graduated from the police academy in a 2015 file photo, and Trenton police officer Drew Inman, right, at his graduation. In November 2017, Villanueva fired a can of chemical spray at Quaree Singletary inside a Trenton police holding cell while the cell door was closing, and then 24-year-old Singletary was inside. He didnt have a flashlight. They punched him numerous times while Washington cried out, stop hitting me, and youve got my hands.. On Tuesday, Villanueva was arrested by the FBI at his home. 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. Former officer Anthony Villanueva and current officer Drew Inman appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon. They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Court: SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION. 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. 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. It aint no joke. TRENTON, NJ - Two Trenton police officers have been arrested by federal agents and charged with assault and obstruction of justice, authorities announced on Tuesday. 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. Villanueva appealed his firing to the states Office of Administrative Law (OAL), which in May 2019, following testimony against him from fellow officers, upheld the termination. NBC10 obtained body cam footage of the incident. Mayor Reed Gusciora said he was made aware of the arrests but declined to comment beyond that. Dougherty believes the city made a pile of mistakes investigating Villanueva, including not interviewing his client or his supervising sergeant. He is also charged with additional civil rights and obstruction counts in connection to a separate incident in November 2017. 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.. 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 argued in his appeal, among other arguments, that the OAL erred by finding that he violated state policy on using pepper spray, and Trenton police failed to conduct an adequate investigation before terminating his employment. Ballarotto said his client is being unfairly vilified as a rogue cop, and he believes the ex-TPDer will get cleared. Villanueva faces additional charges for allegedly assaulting a prisoner who was in a holding cell. The video appeared to show Singletary slapping Villanuevas hand away from the phone. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. He didnt have a baton. You can explore additional available newsletters here. 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. 970 Broad Street, 7th Floor 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. 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. The video shows a fence separated Washington from most of the officers, who had their guns trained on him. Inman and Villanueva then punched the man numerous times, while he cried out in pain, and told officers, stop hitting me in my face, and youve got my hands.. The three civil suits, which name Villanueva, police officials and the city, are all pending, according to attorney Robin Lord who filed them with Clifford Bidlingmaier. Washington and Salaam Felton, now of St. Charles, Missouri, also claimed in separate lawsuits they were beaten to a pulp by Villanueva. Trenton attorney Robin Lord represents Washington, Singletary and a third man, Saalam Felton, in separate lawsuits. 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 re Villanueva. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The counts against both officers stem from a traffic stop on April 9, 2017, in Trenton. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, and they were both scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. 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. 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. All the charges against Felton were later dropped. The appeals court fully backed the OAL judge, Jeff Masin, in his findings that Villanueva was properly terminated. 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 Those cops beat the living sh** out of Rodney King, and those cops overstepped their bounds. Attorney Robin Lord is seeing her client Chanzie Washington's claims of police brutality vindicated. (Image via YouTube) TRENTON, NJ - Two Trenton police officers have been arrested by. The lawsuit faults Parrey, who is no longer police director, for not flagging Villanuevas pattern of unreasonable force.. Investigators said he pepper sprayed a defendant while in a holding cell area of Trenton police headquarters. "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. 3/6/2023 6352640 villanueva gonz george 3/6/2023 6522314 wilson steven 3/7/2023 6548196 carrillo carlos 3/7/2023 6523835 davis rodney . Another officer ordered Washington to climb over the fence toward him. 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. 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. In the footage below, the officers are heard yelling at 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. Villanueva wore all black, his lean frame topped by a mop of curly jet black hair. 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. Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing, U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. It was not immediately clear if that charge was dropped. Inman and Kieffer III are white and Villanueva is Hispanic. 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. Each man did not speak other than to acknowledge the judge when she advised them of their right to remain silent. 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. The video also captured Villanueva bragging about the arrest later on a phone call. Both defendants are charged with one count aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Trenton:609-989-2190 Villanueva has several other issues pending from his four years on the Trenton police force, which all occurred in 2017. I know its a small community, the judge told the defendants. The man tells the officers, Stop hitting me in my face.". Im hopeful there will be more to come.. As I reached for the phone, Singletary smacked my hand out of the way.. (VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED). Our journalism needs your support. He is fighting to get his job back. A six-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton last week, unsealed Tuesday, charged Villanueva and Inman with deprivation of civil rights under color of law and falsifying police records.