Trenton officer indicted after fatal pepper spray incident
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) – A Trenton police officer was indicted Friday for official misconduct, the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General said. A grand jury voted to charge Trenton police officer Nicholas Piotrowski after a pepper spray incident that resulted in the death of Joseph Ahr Sr. in 2020.
The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability investigated the case. They say Ahr's son called police to the home on the 700 block of Monmouth Street around 5:30 p.m. on July 6, 2020. The investigators did not reveal why the son called police.
When officers arrived at the residence they were welcomed by the son who left after Ahr Sr. came to the front door. The interaction between Ahr Sr. and police resulted in a verbal dispute, authorities say. After a failed arrest attempt, officers took Ahr Sr. to the ground, restrained him and handcuffed him.
Bodycam footage shows the incident:
CBS Philadelphia has decided to mute portion of the audio out of respect for the victim and his family.
During the arrest altercation, officer Piotrowski can be seen pepper-spraying Ahr Sr.
Investigators say that Ahr Sr. was stating he had issues breathing and EMS were called to the scene.
As a result, Ahr Sr. was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton where he died on July 24, 2020.
"Police officers are required to be measured in their use of force in every encounter, even under challenging conditions," said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. "This officer resorted to using pepper spray during a confrontation with a civilian in a manner that was unnecessary and contrary to his training."
If convicted, officer Piotrowski could face up to 10 years in prison, officials say.
CBS Philadelphia reporter Nikki DeMentri contributed to this reporting.