Top Bergen Cop Suspended For 120 Days For 'Kill Her' Comment

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ — Chief of Police Michael Cioffi has been suspended for 120 days without pay for recording himself saying he would like to kill the Borough Council president.

The council at a public meeting Wednesday voted to suspend Cioffi, reaffirming the borough's zero-tolerance policy against workplace violence, racism, and sexism, and appoint hearing officers to adjudicate all pending charges against Cioffi, two police captains, and a lieutenant.

"I did the right thing and I condemned workplace violence, racism, and sexism," Kranjac said. "No one is above the law, especially a police chief. The Council did the right thing last night and joined me in this condemnation."

The suspension comes a week after Council President Carrol McMorrow played a tape of Cioffi made of himself saying he would like to kill her. (See related: Listen: Englewood Cliffs Top Cop Said He'd Like To Kill Official)

"I'd like to kill her, but I can't do that," Cioffi said on the recording at about the 7:30 mark. "She is one hell of a b----."

McMorrow acquired the tape during a discovery phase of a lawsuit Cioffi brought against the borough. It was not marked confidential.

McMorrow said during a council meeting that Cioffi made the tape on Jan. 4, 2017 while speaking to a borough employee. A woman can be heard on the recording laughing. (McMorrow can be heard on the tape beginning at about the 10:30 mark in a video of the meeting.)

Cioffi allegedly made about 120 tapes, some of which with "content equally disturbing to this if not worse," McMorrow said while addressing the council members at the meeting.

McMorrow previously said Cioffi, "has long had a disdain" for her because of her political beliefs and for "my speaking out for what I believe is right.

"These remarks are highly inappropriate and distressing coming from any public employee let alone the chief of police who is permitted to carry a firearm and directs the operations of the Police Department," McMorrow said in a statement to Patch.

Cioffi is suing the mayor for allegedly going beyond his powers for forcing him to use his banked vacation time rather than having the borough pay out about $300,000 when he retires, according to an NJ.com article. McMorrow also sued Cioffi for retaliation in December 2017. Her husband is the former deputy chief of the Englewood Police Department.

NJ.com published a recording of the remarks on the tape that McMorrow played at the meeting.

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