Officer in Hudson County charged with excessive force

A Bayonne Police Department officer was arrested by federal agents Friday on charges he used excessive force in a December 2013 arrest, according to federal prosecutors.

A federal grand jury in Newark charged the officer, Domenico Lillo, 44, with deprivation of civil rights and falsification of records.

He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

According to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s office, Lillo and other officers went to a Bayonne address regarding an existing Sussex County warrant on Dec. 27, 2013, and allegedly struck the suspect with a flashlight when he was handcuffed and not resisting arrest.

Prosecutors say he also falsified a police report related to the use of force.

Bayonne Police Chief Drew Niekrasz, in a statement, said the case was the result of an internal affairs investigation following the 2013 arrest, and following receipt of video evidence the officer was placed on modified duty. The case was then handed over to Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

The suspect in the Bayonne case, Brandon Walsh, filed suit against the police department in November, 2014, alleging he and his mother were pepper sprayed during the arrest. 

Following the charges yesterday, Lillo has been suspended without pay pending adjudication of the case, Bayonne police said.

The excessive force charge carries up to 10 years in prison, while the falsification charge carries up to 20 years.

Defense attorney Frank Arleo was not immediately available for comment.