Aberdeen Pays $15,000 to Settle Suit Against Police Dept.

ABERDEEN, NJ - On Dec. 1, 2016 Aberdeen Township quietly agreed to settle a lawsuit with a Township woman who said she was harassed and terrorized by two Aberdeen Township police officers. Yolanda Mitter filed the civil suit against Aberdeen Township and its police department after an encounter that occurred at her home on Aug. 15, 2013.

Chief of Police John Powers, Alan Geyer, Hank Chevalier, Michael Plant and Craig Hausman, all on the Aberdeen Township police force, were named in the suit. Chief Powers was not at the scene of the alleged incident that evening, but was named in the suit because of his role as chief of the department, Patch learned.

At 2 a.m. on Aug. 15, Mitter was in her home on County Road in Cliffwood, with her children, when she said two unidentified men showed up in her driveway in a white Chevrolet SUV, honking the horn, according to a copy of the civil suit obtained by Patch. Mitter said at the time she had no idea who the two men were, but they said they looking for Daryl Jackson, a man who Mitter used to date and who is well known to Aberdeen law enforcement.

It was later learned that the two men were officers with the Aberdeen police department. However, Mitter said the two men, who were not in uniform and in an unmarked car, never identified themselves as police that night. Mitter said she told them Jackson was not there and that they should go away, but they refused to leave. Instead, they sounded the horn again and told her they were going to stay. The smaller of the two officers told her that they were going to give her "what you want" and give her "what you need and deserve," Mitter said.

The men then started banging on her front door and banged on the back door, as well as turning the door handle. At this point, Mitter called 911 and told the operator she was scared. Two marked Aberdeen Twp. patrol cars arrived, and two uniformed officers got out and spoke with the two men. All the men left her home.

Mitter said she was terrified and did not sleep for the rest of the night. The next day, she went to the Aberdeen Twp. police headquarters to file a complaint, where Mitter said she was stonewalled by officers there. She also accused officers of writing false reports about the incident.

Mitter was represented by Robert Morley, formerly of Shebell & Shebell in Shrewsbury, who now runs his own law firm in Ocean Township.

Instead of going to trial, Aberdeen Township agreed to settle Mitter's lawsuit, paying her $15,000. As part of the settlement, Aberdeen and its police department admitted no guilt and both parties agreed to a confidentiality clause that prevents them from discussing the terms of the settlement.

Aberdeen Police Chief John Powers told Patch he was prevented by the settlement's confidentiality clause from commenting. "The matter is settled," is all he would say.

Patch was told that Aberdeen Township launched an internal affairs investigation into the incidents of the night of Aug. 15, 2013 and that at least one of the officers was demoted because of it. However, both Powers and Aberdeen's attorney, J. Sheldon Cohen, declined to confirm or deny that.

Stock image