A police officer in Sussex County pleaded guilty Tuesday to simple assault for bashing a man’s head into a glass partition after arresting him on driving while intoxicated charges, authorities said.
James D. Still, 39, a Hopatcong Police Department officer, arrested the man on DWI charges on Nov. 7, according to acting Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray.
While in custody at the department’s police station, Still used excessive force “by grabbing his arm and hair and striking his head into a glass partition in the lobby of the station,” Murray said in a statement.
The man sustained injuries to his face and head in the assault, which was captured on body camera video, the prosecutor said.
“This incident was immediately reported to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office,” Murray said.
An investigation was initiated by the prosecutor’s Department of Professional Standards with assistance from Hopatcong police, authorities said.
As part of a plea agreement, Still will forfeit his job with the local police department and any future public employment. Sentencing is scheduled for June 28. Still was making $107,600 a year, according to state pension records.
Still’s attorney, Lori Dvorak, of Metuchen, did not immediately return a call and email seeking comment on the case on Friday.
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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
