Hackettstown Man Beaten By Cops Settles With State for $425K

James Bayliss has spent the last four years waiting for an answer as to why he was beaten by New Jersey State Troopers in May 2009.

An answer may never be heard, but the Bayliss family and Attorney General’s Office have agreed on a $425,000 settlement, according to James’ father John, which will result in the family dropping their federal lawsuit.

“At the end of the day, my son is very happy,” John Bayliss said. “We won, and the most important thing is that [James] has some closure.”

After State Troopers set up a checkpoint in Warren County on that May 2009 morning, searching for purported home burglars in the area, the vehicle Bayliss was a passenger in was stopped. The then-21-year-old Hackettstown resident was asked to exit his car to be frisked.

At that point, Staff Sgt. Richard Wambold Jr. threw Bayliss to the ground and began punching him repeatedly in the face and head, a dashboard video camera showed. From there, troopers carried Bayliss into a nearby patrol car, but not before ramming his head into the vehicle’s bumper.

Three years prior to the beating, Bayliss was in a severe car crash that left him mentally disabled and required months of physical therapy. 

Charges against Wambold are still pending, Bayliss said.