Crime & Safety
Former Sea Bright Police Chief Charged With DWI
The now-retired Sea Bright Police Chief, Brett Friedman, was arrested Nov. 29, 2024 and charged with DWI, while he was still police chief.
MONMOUTH BEACH, NJ — The now-retired Sea Bright Police Chief, Brett Friedman, was arrested in 2024 and charged with driving under the influence, among other charges, after he crashed his car. The arrest was just made public Jan. 2 after body camera footage from Friedman's arrest was published on the YouTube channel Transparency Bodycam.
Friedman was the Sea Bright Police chief when the alleged drunk driving crash occurred. He did not retire until three months later, on Feb. 1, 2025.
Friedman was involved in a car crash at 11:39 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2024, in the area of 766 Ocean Ave. in Sea Bright. It was a single-vehicle crash; Friedman crashed his blue 2020 Ford Explorer, which ran off the road.
Find out what's happening in Middletownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Two Sea Bright Police officers first responded, but they called Monmouth Beach Police to respond because Friedman is their boss.
"I'm just going to let my boss know that I'm investigating another chief," one Monmouth Beach Police officer said. "I just want him to know."
Find out what's happening in Middletownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Friedman initially told police a deer ran across the road.
Friedman then proceeded to fail multiple roadside sobriety tests, according to the body camera footage, which runs about 37 minutes in length.
New Jersey court records show Friedman was charged with three charges: Operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor or drugs, refusal to submit to a chemical sobriety test and obstructing passage of other vehicles.
He was found not guilty of driving while intoxicated. However, he pleaded guilty to the other two charges.
He pleaded guilty to the charge of obstructing passage of other cars, for which he paid a $530 fine.
He also pleaded guilty to the charge of refusal to submit to a sobriety test. Friedman's license was revoked and then when he got it back, he had to use an interlock device on his car for the next nine months, according to New Jersey municipal court records. He also had to take a class on the awareness of intoxicated driving.
Friedman's defense lawyer was well-known criminal defense lawyer Mitchell Ansell.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
