TRENTON, NJ — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) announced charges against a New Jersey State Police trooper. Nicolas J. Hogan, 28, of Gibbstown, NJ, faces one count of aggravated assault causing significant bodily injury. The charge relates to an incident in September 2022 in Upper Deerfield Township, Cumberland County.
The OPIA’s Corruption Bureau conducted the investigation leading to the charges. The incident occurred on September 7, 2022, when troopers responded to a trespassing report. The victim, identified in the middle of the road and appearing inebriated, was detained for a medical evaluation.
Body-worn camera footage revealed that while handcuffed and in the back of a police vehicle, the victim spat in the direction of a trooper. Trooper Hogan, allegedly reacting to this, punched her in the face while holding a flashlight.
The victim was handcuffed and secured in the backseat at the time of the incident.
Attorney General Platkin emphasized that such incidents of disproportionate force against a restrained civilian damage the reputation of the law enforcement community, which largely exhibits professionalism and restraint.