Lawrence Police Officer Indicted On Charges Of Misconduct

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — A Mercer County grand jury indicted a Lawrence Township police officer with two counts of second-degree official misconduct, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said in a statement Thursday.

The two-count indictment, returned on Oct. 20, alleges Andres Mejia, 42, failed to investigate a claim of domestic violence assault and made a false statement in a police report.

Mejia was charged in September 2020 with unsworn falsification and tampering with records, following an internal affairs investigation conducted by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Read More Here: Lawrence Police Officer Charged In Internal Affairs Investigation

Mejia has been suspended indefinitely from the police department without pay pending the outcome of his criminal case.

According to prosecutors, Mejia falsified records during a criminal investigation in August 2020. It was discovered by the prosecutor’s office and the Lawrence Township police during an unrelated criminal investigation.

Prosecutors said Mejia submitted an official arrest report to his superior officers at the Lawrence Township Police Department on Aug. 16, knowing that it contained false and misleading information regarding a fictitious witness in an incident that he had responded to in his official capacity as a law enforcement officer.

Back in 2012, Mejia was among seven officers who had filed a federal lawsuit against the township manager, the chief and deputy chief of the police department, and the municipality. They alleged that that their First Amendment-protected civil rights were violated and that they were being punished for taking part in union activities.

Read More Here: Seven Cops File Federal Lawsuit Against Twp. Officials

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