Jersey City Police Officer Threw Away Gun, Another Pulled Hair, Report Says

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The New Jersey attorney general's office released a report late Wednesday detailing municipal and county police officers and sheriffs who had been disciplined — some for not reporting crimes, leaving their duty, or in the case of two Jersey City officers, domestic disputes.

In several cases, the officers received a suspension and returned to their jobs. Others involved terminations.

Jersey City had 33 officers and supervisors suspended from mid-2020 to 2022, according to the Major Discipline report.

The Attorney General's Office gave a statement on the report here.

Here are the details of the suspensions from Jan. 1, 2022-Dec. 31, 2022 as they are stated in the report:

Jersey City PD
Police Officer Daniel Soto
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 15
Sustained Charge: Lost Weapon; Care and Use of Firearms; Conduct
Description: Police Officer Daniel Soto had his off duty firearm stored in his dresser. Later he placed the dresser out to the curb for trash pick up and did not check the dresser for any items prior to taking it out to the trash. The dresser was placed into the garbage truck and removed. Lost property report was taken and general alarm assigned for lost firearm.

Police Officer Richard Donan
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 15
Sustained Charge: Conduct; Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee
Description: Police Officer Richard Donan pulled the victim by the hair during a domestic dispute and on another occasion made multiple calls to the victim and threw a water bottle at her bedroom window.

Police Officer Anjoile Nieves
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 75
Sustained Charge: Conduct; Intoxicants off duty; Cooperation; Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee
Description: Police Officer Anjolie Nieves was charged by the East Rutherford P.D. for Hindering
Apprehension of Another. P.O. A. Nieves did not cooperate with the E.R. P.D. and provided false
information on the driver's identity during a motor vehicle stop. P.O. A. Nieves stated she could not accurately remember what happened because she was intoxicated. Criminal charge was dismissed.

Police Officer Christopher Hill
Terminated: Yes
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 57
Sustained Charge: Criminal Acts; Conduct; Assault
Description: Police Officer Christopher Hill drove a JCPD vehicle recklessly into a bicyclist causing bodily injury, as charged by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office. P.O. C. Hill entered a plea of guilty and has been forever barred from holding any law enforcement office or position of honor, trust or profit within the State of New Jersey.

Police Officer David Leon
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 15
Sustained Charge: Conduct; Obedience to Laws, regulations and Orders.
Description: Police Officer David Leon was found by the JCPD/IAU to have not adhered to established procedures regarding compensation for off duty details, specifically by accepting payments directly from vendors/contractors, which P.O. Leon admitted doing.

Police Officer Joseph Ross
Terminated: Yes
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 107
Sustained Charge: Criminal Acts; Conduct; Obedience to Laws, Regulations, and Orders: Truthfulness; Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee
Description: Police Officer Joseph Ross was involved in a motor vehicle accident in a marked radio car. Officer J. Ross didn't report the accident at the time. Officer J. Ross later filed a false police report stating that the vehicle was parked and struck at a different location. P.O. J. Ross entered a plea of guilty and has been forever barred from holding any law enforcement office or position of honor, trust or profit within the State of New Jersey.

Detective Edwin Vasquez
Terminated: Yes
Demoted: Yes
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 120
Sustained Charge: Conduct; Driver's License; Obedience to Laws, Regulations and Orders; Traffic Laws; Causes for Removal; Incompetency; Inefficiency or Failure to Perform Duties; Inability to perform duties; Chronic or Excessive Absenteeism; Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee; Alcoholic Beverages; Leaving an Assignment; Neglect of Duty; Causes for Removal

Description: 1.) On 5 occasions, Det. Edwin Vasquez' driver's license was suspended by NJMVC. Det.Vasquez failed to notify his commanding officer of his suspensions. 2.) Det. E. Vasquez violated G.O. #2-15, Instructions for reporting off sick, having five or more illnesses/injuries within a 12 month period. 3.) Det. E. Vasquez was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver's license and no valid insurance and was involved in a motor vehicle accident. 4.) On 3 occasions Det. E. Vasquez was not at home or make himself available during I.A.U. sick checks and failed to notify his command that he was leaving his home while he was out sick. 5.) Det. E. Vasquez was scheduled to work his regular tour of duty and left his assignment early. Det. E. Vasquez was observed working a secondary job and drinking an alcoholic beverage while still on duty as a Jersey City Police Detective. He left his assignment without permission and did not get approval for secondary employment as required.

Police Officer Samuel Torres
Terminated: Yes
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: Several days in 2020
Sustained Charge: Assault; Conduct; Obedience to Laws, Regulations and Orders; Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee; Incompetency; Ineffiency or Failure to Perform Duties; Inability to Perform Duties Description: Police Officer Samuel Torres used unnecessary force against victim during a Domestic Violence dispute and was arrested for Domestic Violence assault by West Orange P.D. P.O. S. Torres was suspended on 06/08/2020 and remained suspended until his removal on 11/18/2020. *Upheld by Office of Administrative Law on 7/14/22.

Read the full report and information on other departments in New Jersey here.