67°
The protest happened around 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at Rutgers Hillel on the College Avenue Campus, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Rutgers Police Chief Kenneth Cop.
The demonstration was in opposition to a roundtable event featuring Congressman Josh Gottheimer, officials said. Rutgers Police had set up a designated protest area to allow for peaceful demonstration while keeping the campus safe and accessible.
But according to the release, “Four of the protestors refused repeated requests from the Rutgers University Police Department to clear the public sidewalk.” Officers tried to de-escalate the situation, but the group continued blocking access, police said.
As Rutgers Police formed a protective line to restore access, individuals “attempted to breach the line causing officers to declare that the assembly was unlawful in which a dispersal order was attempted.”
The four arrested were:
- Thomas Whitehead, 25, of Cranford — charged with Aggravated Assault upon a Law Enforcement Officer, Riot, and Resisting Arrest
- Lexi Tassone, 21, of Cresskill — charged with Riot and Resisting Arrest
- Hanah Hassan, 23, of Budd Lake — charged with Riot
- Jasmine Rodriguez, 24, of Atlantic City — charged with Riot
Whitehead is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pre-trial detention hearing on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
“The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office along with the Rutgers University Police Department value free speech and support peaceful protests,” the statement said. “However, the pursuit of these Constitutional Rights cannot interfere with Rutgers operations or deleteriously impact public safety.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Lt. Melvin Breton of Rutgers Police at 848-932-8025 or Sgt. Andrew Winter of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-4178.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mount Olive and receive free news updates.
