Cops charged with violating Murphy's orders in covert park trips

LAWRENCE (Mercer) — Three township police officers have been suspended without pay and charged with criminal offenses, including violating the governor’s stay-home orders by meeting at a closed park.

Prosecutors said Thursday that Officer Hector Nieves, 44, and Officer Liubove Bjorklund, 32, each went to Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in Princeton on April 23 “for a purpose unrelated to any official function or capacity.” Prosecutors did not say Thursday what the officers did during their visit to the park.

Nieves was also charged with falsifying records to lie about his location 19 times between March 21 and May and altering the view of his vehicle camera so that it would not record him “covertly meeting with an off-duty female police officer,” including an occasion at the park, prosecutors said.

Bjorklund also was charged with falsifying records by lying about her location 11 times between March 20 and May 4.

A third officer, Timothy Wallace, 28, was charged with falsifying government records by lying about his location on May 4.

New Jersey 101.5 did not know Thursday whether the officers had attorneys who could speak on their behalf.