Trooper admits to punching handcuffed woman in late-night incident
BRIDGETON — A state trooper has admitted he punched a woman in the face while she was handcuffed in a police vehicle, according to the state Attorney General's Office.
The trooper — Nicholas J. Hogan, 28, of Gibbstown — held a metal flashlight in his hand while striking the victim during a 1:30 a.m. incident in September 2022, the agency said in a statement.
Hogan admitted guilt to aggravated assault at a July 25 hearing in Superior Court in Cumberland County.
Prosecutors will recommend he serve up to 364 days in county jail as part of a probationary term.
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The incident occurred after New Jersey State Police troopers received a report of a woman trespassing at a home in Upper Deerfield, Cumberland County,
Troopers were heading to the home when they encountered the woman, who "appeared to be inebriated, walking in the middle of the road," said an account from the Attorney General's Office.
Victim was detained, not arrested
Troopers determined the woman, whose name was not disclosed, needed a medical evaluation.
She was "detained, but not under arrest" while troopers waited for medical personnel to arrive, the account said.
Hogan was among other troopers who arrived at the scene during the wait.
The woman became "increasingly distraught" and began weeping and spitting on the ground, said the account.
It said troopers' body-worn camera footage also showed "fluid and mucus on her face and falling from her mouth."
After the woman tried to walk away, her hands were cuffed behind her back and she was secured in the rear seat of a police car.
According to the account, the woman then made multiple requests for a tissue "but was never given one."
The situation intensified when the woman spat toward a trooper standing near the open rear passenger door.
Hogan then opened a rear door on the other side of the car and warned the woman, 'If you f---ing spit on a trooper,'" the account continued.
The woman turned toward Hogan and spat in his direction.
Hogan, a trooper since March 2021, then struck the restrained woman in the face.
The statement did not address the woman's condition, but state law notes a charge of aggravated assault can be filed when an assailant causes "significant bodily injury purposely or knowingly."
The woman was later charged with resisting arrest, obstruction, disorderly conduct and subjecting a law enforcement officer to bodily fluid.
The charges were administratively dismissed 15 days later, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.
In announcing Hogan's plea, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said police "face difficult circumstances and put their lives on the line every day. But they must exercise discretion when they need to use force."
He said Hogan, who has been suspended since Nov. 16, "inexcusably crossed the line, and he has been held accountable for his conduct.”
Under the terms of a plea agreement, Hogan has consented to a lifetime ban on public employment and holding public office, the statement said.
An attorney for Hogan could not be reached for immediate comment.
Superior Court Judge Joseph M. Chiarello scheduled sentencing for Sept. 13 in his Bridgeton courtroom.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Nicholas Hogan admits he punched handcuffed woman in NJSP patrol car
