4 Bellville cops busted in NJ bar fight — and one lied about it, officials say

NORTH ARLINGTON — Four Belleville police officers and one civilian have been charged in what the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office called a "large, physical altercation" with patrons at a borough bar.

The prosecutor's office said it first learned about the fight on Oct. 31, though it took place 10 days earlier, at about 1 a.m. on Oct. 21.

The prosecutor's office's Confidential Investigation Unit found that those involved had been led out of the bar by security, but a physical altercation continued outside involving "several of the off-duty police officers and civilians," until Lyndhurst and North Arlington police arrived, the office said.

One civilian was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center for minor medical attention and later released, the prosecutor's office said.

At the time, no criminal charges were filed. But the prosecutor's office said it later learned Police Officer John Clarzio provided false information to a Lyndhurst officer who'd arrived at the scene — and charges were then later filed.

It wasn't clear from an announcement by the prosecutor's office what that false information was, or specifically what the investigators learned that eventually lead to the charges.

Clarzio was charged with hindering apprehension and simple assault. Marco Zarfino was charged with two counts of simple assault. Officers Jesse McKeough and Giovani Casillo, as well as pool technician Vasilios Theofanidis, were each charged with one count of simple assault.

All are scheduled to make a first court appearance Dec. 14.