Little Silver Cop Accused of Punching Handcuffed Man Stands Trial

The opening statements in the trial of a Little Silver police officer accused of punching a man in handcuffs almost four years ago were heard on Oct. 1 in a Monmouth County Court in Freehold, according to a report on NJ.com.

Little Silver Patrolman Steven Solari was charged with multiple offenses, including official misconduct, aggravated assault and tampering with a witness, according to the report. The charges stem from a Dec. 20, 2009 incident where Sean Casey's mother called police asking them to do a welfare check on her son because he had been drinking and threatened to drive a car, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco said in court.

Falco said there is a dispute over what happened at the residence, but that Casey was eventually taken to police headquarters where Solari allegedly punched the handcuffed man multiple times because he would not pose for a photo after his arrest, according to the report. 

Solari remains suspended without pay from the police department.