State says trooper punched crying, drunk, handcuffed woman; but why?
A trooper who reportedly punched a handcuffed, crying, drunk woman in the face has been charged with assault over one year after the incident, according to officials.
Nicolas J. Hogan, a New Jersey State Police trooper from Gibbstown, was responding to a call for backup after other troopers had come across a woman reported as trespassing at a nearby home in Upper Deerfield Township. The incident happened in September, 2022.
The woman appeared to be drunk and had been walking in the middle of the road, according to officials, and the first troopers called for backup and medical personnel.
Hogan was one of the backup troopers.
After being detained, the woman had become "increasingly distraught," weeping, repeatedly protesting and attempting to walk away, according to an investigation by the office of Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. She was then handcuffed and placed in a troop car.
Body camera footage showed fluid and mucus on her face and falling from her mouth, according to the release, and the woman had been spitting on the ground prior to being placed in the vehicle, where she'd asked for a tissue multiple times but was never given one.
At one point, the handcuffed victim spat in the direction of a trooper standing near the open rear passenger door, prompting an explicit warning from Hogan.
The woman then turned toward Hogan and spit again. At this point, Hogan allegedly punched the secured, handcuffed woman in the face while holding a flashlight in his hand, according to officials.
"We will not allow situations like this one, in which, as alleged, force was used disproportionately without justification against a vulnerable civilian in police restraints, to damage the reputation of our hardworking and admirable law enforcement community," said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin in the release.
Thomas Eicher, executive director of OPIA, said, "We cannot have police officers assaulting people in distress while they are restrained and posing no threat. It is uncalled for, unhelpful, improper, and unlawful."
Hogan was charged Nov. 15 with one count of third-degree aggravated assault causing significant bodily injury, and could face three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
The charges against Hogan are only allegations; he has not been convicted in the case.
Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: State trooper charged with punching Cumberland County woman
