NJ councilman charged with slamming man's head into concrete

🔴 Dover councilman charged with assault again

🔴 Faces calls from his own party to resign

🔴 He was charged with simple assault earlier this year

DOVER — For the second time this year, a councilman in Morris County is facing assault charges.

Dover Councilman Sergio Rodriguez, a Democrat, was arrested on Sept. 25 and charged with third-degree aggravated assault, the Morristown Daily Record reported.

The local newspaper recently obtained and published a copy of a police report detailing the incident around 11 a.m. on West Dickerson Street.

According to the police report, Rodriguez grabbed a man by his shirt from behind and shoved him to the ground. The victim's head hit a concrete wall as he fell, cutting the back of his head and briefly knocking him unconscious, the report said.

New Jersey 101.5 sent an email to Rodriguez seeking comment.

(Facebook screenshot/Canva)

Dover, NJ councilman faces calls to resign

Mayor James Dodd, a fellow Democrat, released a statement calling for Rodriguez to resign on the same day he was arrested.

"As public servants, we are entrusted with the responsibility to act in a manner that inspires trust and confidence within our community. It is crucial that we hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of conduct. In light of recent events, I am formally requesting the resignation of Councilman Rodriguez," said Dodd.

Dodd and Rodriguez ran on the same ticket last year. If Rodriguez does not resign, his term will last until Dec. 31, 2025, while Dodd's term ends Dec. 31, 2027.

Rodriguez also faced calls to resign earlier this year from the Morris County Young Democrats.

Second assault charge this year

Rodriguez was charged with simple assault earlier this year after an encounter with a homeless man. He posted an edited video of the February incident on social media and then deleted it.

Police said the councilman kicked the victim in the hand. The video showed that he lectured the man about drinking in public.

Rodriguez last month posted another video of an interview with a Dover resident about what he said was the "growing issue of public drinking and intoxication in our community."

After first criticizing how the police handled the incident, Rodriguez issued an apology on social media.