Newark Activists Cheer Release Of Justin Rodwell After Year In Jail

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County man accused of assaulting a Newark police officer will be released after spending more than a year in jail awaiting trial, advocates say.

Justin Rodwell was arrested along with his three brothers after a controversial incident on Fabyan Place and Cypress Street in June 2021. Police have claimed that the officers were "attacked" while trying to stop a man suspected of gun possession. But supporters of the brothers claim that they were victims of police harassment and racial profiling. Read More: 'Mob Assault' Or 'False Narrative?' 4 Arrested In Newark

While his brothers were eventually released to await their trials, Rodwell remained imprisoned for more than a year at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.

While prosecutors have previously maintained that there was no racial profiling – and that Rodwell’s case was moving forward “in the normal course,” advocates have held repeated protests to demand his release.

• See related article: 1 Year In Jail, No Trial: 'Free Justin Rodwell,' Newark Advocates Say

Rodwell and his brothers have seen support from the local chapter of the NAACP, as well as Lawrence Hamm, a former U.S. Congress candidate and a founder of the Newark-based People’s Organization For Progress, which recently held a three-mile “Long March for Justin” to demand his release.

Last week, Hamm reported via social media that Rodwell will finally be released; his trial is scheduled for Oct. 3.

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