Paramus Officer Who Was Shot Promoted To Detective

Councilman Alan Brundage resigned from his elected post Tuesday, and his fellow council members granted his final wish: to promote Rachel Morgan to detective.

Several of her fellow officers, including Det. Michael Cebulski, president of the local police union, and Chief Christopher Brock, have to promote Morgan since July.

The council did just that Tuesday, voting 3-2 to promote Morgan, who wasn't at the meeting, effective immediately. Councilwoman Cathy Bentz made the motion, seconded by Councilman Ralph Amato, and supported by Councilwoman Maureen O'Brien's vote.

Morgan, reached by email after the meeting, said she was "ecstatic." She expects to return to work by Jan. 16.

"I am extremely grateful to my department and my union (PBA 186)  for pushing so hard and so long to bring this to fruition," she said. "I am so appreciative of the promotion and am just so blessed to be able to return to doing what I love." 

Councilmen Eric Nazziola and Michael Rohdieck voted against the promotion. Nazziola asked if Morgan, who was shot while attempting to make a traffic stop in February, had returned to duty—she hasn't.

"Then I'll stick with my previous vote and say no," he said.

Brock said he was happy the council had finally made the promotion.

"I am extremely supportive of it and very, very happy that the motion was offered and it passed as stated," he said.

Based on the chief's recommendation, Brundage urged the council to promote Morgan after announcing his immediate resignation. Brundage was recently promoted to captain in the Bergen County Police Department, and said the new command responsibilities, coupled with the recent birth of his second child and the loss of his father on Sunday, led him to leave his position.

"My leaving office is in no way a reflection on the mayor or the other members of the council," Brundage said.

Brundage was coming to the end of the second year of his term on council. This year, he was chairman of the committee that helped craft a budget with a , but also cut five full-time employees and two part-time employees.

Because of his position, Brundage often opted to abstain from voting on many police matters that might have benefited him as a Bergen County officer. There were some exceptions—Brundage actually voted to lay Morgan off in 2010, a move that was eventually averted.

But Tuesday, his last wish as a councilman was to make Morgan a detective.

Morgan was  the night of Feb. 6 after attempting to make a traffic stop on Route 17. Since the shooting, she and Ryan Hayo, the first officer to arrive on the scene, have been number of organizations for their actions.