November 01, 2017 - 12:15 PM
CAMDEN, N.J. - The Latest on the hate crime charge against a white former New Jersey police chief (all times local):
3 p.m.
A white former police chief in New Jersey charged with a hate crime for assaulting a black man has waived his preliminary hearing.
A federal judge has allowed former Bordentown Township police chief Frank Nucera to return home Wednesday afternoon but ordered that he turn over his firearms and travel documents to authorities. His attorney declined to comment after the court hearing.
Nucera was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly slamming a handcuffed 18-year-old black man's head into a doorjamb during an arrest in 2016.
A federal prosecutor says the man posed no danger to police officers at the time and that the assault was motivated by "racial hatred." Court documents also detail that Nucera had a history of making racist comments and used police dogs to intimidate African-Americans.
___
10 a.m.
Federal prosecutors say a white police chief in New Jersey used excessive force against a handcuffed young African-American man all because of the colour of his skin.
Authorities on Wednesday are announcing civil rights and hate crime charges against Frank Nucera. Nucera retired as Bordentown Township police chief while under FBI investigation in January.
According to court documents, Nucera approached the 18-year-old African-American from behind and slammed his head into a doorjamb while the suspect was being escorted by two officers from a hotel.
Prosecutors say Nucera had a history of making racist comments and used police dogs to intimidate African-Americans.
One of his police officers secretly recorded Nucera's comments.
It's not known if Nucera has been arrested and officials will provide more details during a news conference.
A phone listing for Nucera rang unanswered Wednesday.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017