What to Know
- A officer in New Jersey has been charged with beating a teen after a police chase, prosecutors say
- The officer serves in Carteret, New Jersey; his brother is the mayor of Carteret
- The officer didn't have his body-camera turned on at the time, but a camera in his vehicle captured much of the scene, prosecutors said
A police officer who is the brother of a New Jersey mayor was charged Friday with punching a teenager so many times he was left hospitalized, prosecutors say.
Carteret police officer Joseph Reiman, 31, was charged with third-degree aggravated assault and second-degree official misconduct, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said.
Reiman is the brother of Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman.
Prosecutors say Joseph Reiman caused significant bodily injury to the teen, a juvenile who was still recovering at a hospital this week.
Reiman was pursuing the teen in his patrol car last week when the teen crashed into a utility pole guide wire, according to prosecutors.
When the teen left his vehicle after the crash, Reiman got on top of him and punched him several times with a closed fist, prosecutors allege.
Local
After the crash and alleged assault, the officer did not call an ambulance for the teen, but instead put him in his police car, according to prosecutors.
Reiman didn’t activate his body camera during the encounter, but a camera in his police car recorded much of the scene, prosecutors said.
An investigation into the encounter is ongoing, and prosecutors said the video will not be released to the public at this time.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Reiman had an attorney who could comment on the charges against him.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said a referral has been made to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey concerning the federal civil rights of the teen.
