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The incident occurred after the drunken woman spat toward troopers following a trespassing complaint, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin
Trooper Nicolas J. Hogan, 28, of Gibbstown, pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 25 in Cumberland County to aggravated assault, Platkin said.
Hogan entered into a consent order banning him for life from holding public office and public employment. Prosecutors will recommend that the court order Hogan to serve a term of probation after serving up to 364 days in county jail.
“Law enforcement officers face difficult circumstances and put their lives on the line every day. But they must exercise discretion when they need to use force,” Platkin said in a news statement. “The defendant in this case inexcusably crossed the line, and he has been held accountable for his conduct.”
The victim was assaulted by Hogan on Sept. 7, 2022, in Upper Deerfield Township, while he and other troopers were waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive to evaluate the victim.
NJSP troopers responded to a report of a trespasser at an Upper Deerfield Township residence around 1:30 a.m. On the way to the home, a pair of NJSP troopers identified the victim as the individual who had been described by the caller, and she appeared to be inebriated, walking in the middle of the road, Platkin said.
After the victim was stopped, troopers determined she needed a medical evaluation, and they called for medical personnel as additional troopers, including Trooper Hogan, arrived.
The victim became increasingly distraught that she was being detained and she began weeping. The victim repeatedly protested her detainment and attempted to walk away, resulting in troopers handcuffing and placing her in one of the marked cars, where she asked multiple times for a tissue but was never given one, Platkin said.
The victim was detained but not under arrest. Prior to being placed in the vehicle, the victim was spitting on the ground, apparently because she had been upset and crying, and body-worn camera footage shows fluid and mucus on her face and falling from her mouth, Platkin said.
At one point, while in the back of the police vehicle, the victim spat in the direction of a trooper standing near the open rear passenger door.
Trooper Hogan was standing on the other side of the car, outside the rear driver’s side. He opened the door and warned the victim, “If you f***ing spit on a trooper,” as the victim turned toward him and spat again, this time in his direction, Platkin said.
Trooper Hogan then punched the victim in the face while holding a metal flashlight in his hand. At the time, the victim’s hands were in handcuffs behind her back and she was secured in the vehicle’s backseat, Platkin said.
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