Trenton Police Violate Civil Rights, Engage In Systemic Misconduct: DOJ

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – The Trenton Police Department (TDP) and the City of Trenton “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and federal law,” the Department of Justice said.

In a scathing 45-page report, the DOJ said that officers in Trenton routinely made arrests without legal basis and used “unreasonable” forms of physical force and pepper spray when facing little to no danger.

The department also failed to hold officers accountable for violating department protocols, the report said.

The report, released Thursday, comes roughly after a yearlong investigation into TDP undertaken after an officer shot and paralyzed a Black man who attempted to drive away when officers didn’t tell him why he was being stopped.

During the investigation, the DOJ spoke with over a hundred community members, faith leaders, state and local employees, advocacy organizations, and members of the criminal defense bar.

They reviewed thousands of documents, including reports, policies, training records, and internal affairs files, as well as body-worn camera footage.

“For too long, the residents of Trenton have felt afraid of the police, rather than protected by them. The use of excessive force and unconstitutional stops, searches and arrests, sometimes with tragic consequences, have eroded public trust and undermined public safety,” US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

In one incident from 2023, after initially using reasonable force to arrest a man, an officer stomped on the man’s hand multiple times once he was on the ground, kneeled on his head, and kicked him in the shoulder, the report found.

Officers from the department also stopped and searched pedestrians and cars without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. They would often unlawfully arrest the person without cause, the report said.

In May 2022, a Black woman sat in her parked car and was speaking to her friend, a Black man who was standing in the street, through the car window. Three officers saw the man reaching into his satchel and assumed that the woman was buying drugs.

The officers drove the wrong way down the one-way street and the man ran with two officers chasing him.

One officer opened the car door, and grabbed the woman by the wrist. As the woman asked, “What is going on? Why are you arresting me?”, the officer handcuffed her and pulled her by the handcuffs.

When the woman protested that the officer was hurting her, the officer said, “Get the f**k out of the car or you’re going to get pepper sprayed.” No drugs were found on the woman or in her car.

Officer misconduct has cost the City of Trenton more than $7 million in civil settlements since 2021, the report found. Despite this, the police’s unlawful conduct has continued, federal officials said.

The report cited another example where a man experiencing a behavioral health crisis, who was unarmed, and running around a hospital parking lot shirtless, died after officers tackled him to the ground, pepper-sprayed him, and held him down, pushing his head into mulch.

“Police officers must respect people’s civil and constitutional rights and treat people with dignity,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said.

“After an extensive review, we found that police officers in Trenton routinely failed to respect the Fourth Amendment rights of those who call Trenton home. Trenton police stop and search pedestrians and motorists without a legal basis, make illegal arrests and use excessive force without basis. We are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve constitutional policing across the country. By bringing city officials, the police department, and the community together, we are confident that we can institute meaningful reforms that remedy the violations uncovered.”

The report said that the Police Department and the City of Trenton cooperated with investigators.

It also recommends that the department improve its use of force policy, boost data collection, implement better training, and enhance accountability.

“Our efforts to reform the Trenton Police 8 Department will promote our ultimate goal -- to ensure that the people of Trenton are served by a police force that effectively fights crime while respecting the constitutional rights of every person,” Sellinger said.

Have a correction or a news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com