November 01, 2017
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday are filing civil rights and hate crime charges against a former New Jersey police chief.
Frank Nucera, who retired in January as the chief in Bordentown, Burlington County, while under investigation by the FBI, allegedly used excessive force against a handcuffed young African-American man because of the color of his skin, authorities said, according to the Associated Press. Nucera is white.
According to court documents cited by the AP, Nucera approached the 18-year-old African-American from behind and slammed his head into a doorjamb as he was escorted by two officers from a hotel.
Prosecutors say Nucera had a history of making racist comments and used police dogs to intimidate African-Americans. An officer on Nucera's force secretly recorded his comments.
It was not known if Nucera has been arrested, reported the AP, which said a phone listing for Nucera rang unanswered Wednesday.
