Family says Carteret cop ‘savagely’ beat teen after car chase

CARTERET — The family of a borough teenager is alleging the boy was "savagely" beaten by a police officer after a pursuit late last month.

According to a story on NJ.com the family claims the incident happened on the morning of May 31. Family members say the 16-year-old was punched and kicked, and left bloodied. Family members have posted several pictures to Facebook of the teen's injuries.

The NJ.com story says the incident allegedly happened after the boy led police on a "brief chase," before crashing his car in the area of Edwin and Bergen Streets. Both the story and Facebook posts by family members identified the officer involved as Joseph Reiman, the brother of Mayor Daniel Reiman.

“Clearly you can look at the kid and see he was beaten pretty bad," the family's attorney, Hassen Abdellah, told New Jersey 101.5 Wednesday. 

In one Facebook post, a person who appears to be the teen's father says he has "never been so heart broken in my life looking at my son face."

He also says in posts there will be a rally at some point in the future, though no definitive date has been set.

"We will be having a rally just want to make sure we come correct," the post says. "So we still need your continued support we will be keeping you updated. ... Enough is Enough No more police brutality," that person wrote.

Another person, Unique Boseman, claimed on Facebook to have known the boy's father for 25 years, and spoke out against the police officer.

"Yes he did something he wasn't suppose to but as children we make mistakes and not to mention no was hurt in anyway," the post said.

Another person who identified herself as the boy's half sister also posted, alleging the police officer's body camera had been shut off before the officer "beat the s*** out of my half brother ... for something stupid that he did."

Pictures of the teen have been circulated widely on Facebook, as has his name. He also agreed to be photographed by NJ.com, according to that publication, but it did not disclose his name because he is a minor. New Jersey 101.5, which has not yet been able to reach the teen or his family directly, is not publishing the teen's name at this time.

In the NJ.com account, the teen is quoted saying Reiman was following his car, and when the officer turned on the lights, the teen panicked and hit the gas, leading to a crash. He conceded he was not wearing a seat belt, but said he was not injured in the crash — although a impression could be seen in the windshield of the car.

Abdellah, the attorney, said the teen's injuries could not have been caused by an air bag.

“The whole thing about air bags doesn’t make sense. That defies logic," he said.

An EMT report from the Carteret Fire Department, obtained by New Jersey 101.5 after a public records request, says the teen told responders he was the "unrestrained driver" of the single car involved in the crash into a telephone pole — and that he fled from the scene.

The report also says the teen described fighting with officers on the scene.

The NJ.com report also cites medical records saying the same — but says the teen and other witnesses dispute that account. The teen told the news site he got out of the car and put up his hands, but the officer punched him, knocked him to the ground, and continued to punch and kick him once he'd fallen. He also alleged another officer kicked him in the face, and a third officer eventually put him in a car to and read him his rights.

It cites witness interviews corroborating that account as well.

Another witness who spoke to New Jersey 101.5 said she'd saw the police "throw him on the ground, and he was punching him and yelling at him."

"It went on for a few minutes," said the witness, who asked that her name not be published. "I saw the police pull him out of the car and throw him on the ground and I thought he was just going to handcuff him. I wasn’t sure what the deal was or why he was chasing him. It was dark, so I didn’t know he was getting beaten up that badly."

According to the Carteret Police Department the matter is being handled by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. Jim O'Neil, a spokesman for the prosecutor confirmed that the incident has been referred to the office.

In a statement to New Jersey 101.5 Mayor Reiman said "Upon the results of an investigation an ultimate determination as to what, if any, action should be taken is made."

"The borough expects all of its employees and especially its law enforcement personnel to exhibit the highest level of professionalism in the discharge of their duties," the mayor said. "Failure to live up to that expectation will result in appropriate corrective action."

The mayor also urged the prosecutor's office to release as much information about the incident as possible as soon as possible. "I believe the timely release of information is important to ensure the continued public trust of Law Enforcement in New Jersey."

Reiman also said it was important that incident not be judged through social media.

"Unfortunately, social communication platforms have taken the role at times of being perceived as a legitimate news source, but the public must always understand that comments and innuendos on the web are not facts and the borough awaits the results of this review by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office to ensure that the rights of all, both public and the police are protected," he said.

Abdellah said the teen has not been charged in the incident. He said he did not yet know if the teen's family planned a lawsuit.

“I’m pretty sure that we’re contemplating that. We need to get some more information to develop the facts," he said.

New Jersey 101.5 has requested records of the incident, including dashcam or other recordings.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com