NJIT suspends 2 cops after ‘troubling’ arrest of juvenile

NEWARK — The police department for the New Jersey Institute of Technology has suspended two cops after an incident that college officials described as "troubling."

A spokesman for NJIT said two NJIT police officers arrested a juvenile on Monday on campus. They did not release details.

But a video posted on Twitter shows the officers pinning down a suspect on the ground. The tweet claims that the teen was arrested after blowing a stop sign on his bike.

"The circumstances of this matter are troubling, and NJIT has launched an investigation that will include the involvement of an independent law enforcement agency," Golden said in a statement. "While that investigation proceeds expeditiously, we are conducting a review of pursuit procedures and training and have placed both involved officers on administrative leave."

The video was tweeted at the official account of Rutgers University-Newark, which responded that they followed up with NJIT leadership and that it is conducting an investigation. The video was viewed nearly 5,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed it is investigating an incident involving NJIT police and a juvenile. No criminal charges were filed.

Citing a preliminary report from an unspecified agency, RLS Metro Breaking News reported the juvenile was stopped by police and ran off on foot. Officers and the juvenile had a "confrontation" that led to one of the officers and the juvenile requiring medical attention, according to RLS.

Classes at NJIT begin on Tuesday.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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