One of the officers getting investigated by feds being sued
TRENTON » Federal investigators recently visited the home of a Ewing man advising him to obtain an attorney because he was the victim of an alleged crime committed by a Trenton cop.
Quaree Singletary was arrested by state police on November 28 and taken to TPD lockup where he and city cop Anthony Villanueva engaged in a struggle.
A use of force report filed by Villanueva says he used a compliance hold, hands, fists and mace to subdue Singletary because he resisted police control and threatened the cop’s safety.
Villanueva was assigned to TPD lockup after being pulled off the streets following an altercation with a suspect caught on tape in April.
Now, federal investigators are building a case against Villanueva — as well as other city cops — for excessive use of force.
“The fact that the feds came to visit my client personally at his house speaks volume in my mind,” said attorney Robin Lord, who represents Singletary. “I have no idea how it was brought to the feds’ attention, but I’m grateful that it was. I think they were investigating the officer on an unrelated matter, but I don’t know that to be the case for sure.”
Lord filed a tort claim notice last month on behalf of Singletary advising city officials they plan to file a civil lawsuit. Lord said she has not yet seen video of the altercation in police lockup, but documents filed with the notice say Singletary was “maced, assaulted and battered by police officers,” resulting in serious injuries.
Documents say Singletary sustained injuries to his face and other body parts, and that police failed to provide the appropriate treatment following the altercation.
“We’re anxiously waiting to see the video ourselves,” Lord said.
The Trentonian reported this week that several Trenton cops are under federal investigation for excessive use of force during the April 9 arrest of Chanzie Washington.
Body camera footage from that arrest shows Officer Drew Inman punch Washington several times while he’s on the ground with other cops attempting to place him in custody. Footage also shows Villanueva throw a couple punches, and it’s possible that Officer Mark Kieffer III also used excessive force during the arrest. However, body cam footage obtained by this newspaper doesn’t clearly show Kieffer’s actions.
Lord said her client complained about excessive use of force after the altercation in lockup “but nobody listened.”
“Hopefully now they’ll listen,” she said, adding that she believes all Trenton cops should wear body cameras, regardless of whether they are working with a special investigative unit. “They’re absolutely running amok. If cops are engaging in some type of confidential investigation that they don’t want recorded, they could shut the camera off and then turn it back on later. These cops are stupid enough to do this stuff on tape, imagine what they’re doing when they’re not on tape.”
Villanueva’s department history of use of force reports shows he filed 14 reports within a two-year period.
Police sources say the solution to reducing excessive use of force is not as simple as wearing a body camera. City cops say young recruits joining the force today are not trained properly because layoffs and retirements have stretched manpower too thin, resulting in less supervision.