Piscataway Police Officer Accused Of Hitting Suspect In Handcuffs

PISCATAWAY, NJ — A Piscataway Township police officer was criminally charged Wednesday with assault and tampering with official records to conceal wrongdoing.

Piscataway Police Officer Todd Ritter, 54, of Millstone was arrested and charged with one count of tampering with public records in the third degree, one count of falsifying and tampering with records in the fourth degree, and one count of assault, a disorderly persons offense.

During the investigation it was determined that while on official duty Officer Ritter struck a suspect who was detained in a patrol car. Ritter then falsified a police record by entering inaccurate information in an attempt to conceal his actions, the Middlesex County Prosecutor said.

Ritter was served with summonses and his initial court date at Middlesex County Superior Court is March 15, 2018. He has been suspended from the Piscataway Police Department without pay, as a result of the criminal charges brought against him.

He was charged during an investigation by Lieutenant Warren Morrison of the Piscataway and Detective Andreea Zebib of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The investigation is active and is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Zebib of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4274, or Lieutenant Morrison of the Piscataway Police Department at (732) 562-1100.

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