Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Former NJ police officer pleads guilty to disorderly conduct

By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times

Former Fair Lawn police officer, Stephen Wassel, age 47, of Hamburg has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Paterson Municipal court. Wassel had been accused of using excessive force against Hansel Castillo, 12, of Paterson in April 2009. The incident began after one of the boys Castillo was with stole a bicycle.

Paulina Tavarez said the officer, Wassel, detained the boy who stole the bicycle and shouted for his friends to stop running. Her son, Castillo, was one of the boys who ran from the officer.

When Castillo was later apprehended in front of P.S. 26 on East 32nd Street he was forced to lie face down on the ground. Tavarez stated that her son received facial abrasions when officer Wassel stepped on Castillo's cheek and pushed his face into the ground.

After her son told her what happened, Tavarez filed a brutality complaint with the police department on April 16. An Internal affairs investigation followed and a criminal complaint was then filed against Wassel, a 23-year veteran of the police department. He was suspended with pay and later resigned on July 1. Department records show he did not receive a pension.

James Patuto, Wassel's attorney, said his client's January 13 plea led to a $750 fine and that "now that he's retired from the Fair Lawn Police Department, Stephen Wassel can go on with his life without more serious charges hanging over his head."

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