Video of two Millville police officers repeatedly punching a man and holding him down after he was allegedly uncooperative following a jaywalking violation has sparked an investigation.
Warning: This video contains violent images and explicit language that may be offensive to some viewers.
The incident occurred Tuesday around 7:30 p.m. on North 5th and E. Mulberry streets in Millville, New Jersey. Police say two officers spotted Barry Cottman, 34, jaywalking in the area and approached him. Investigators accused Cottman of being uncooperative and say he pulled away and struggled while the officers tried to handcuff him. Video posted on Facebook showed the officers holding Cottman on the ground and punching him several times.
"And now you tell me when it's a law to do jaywalking in a residential area, show me the marking. Show me the lights," Cynthia Jackson, Cottman's mother, said.
While Millville Police Chief Jody Farabella told NBC10 he believes the use of force was necessary, Jackson believes the officers were out of line.
“I don’t have a problem with you doing your job,” she said. “But you don’t have to beat people to a pulp.”
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Chief Farabella said Cottman wouldn’t cooperate with the officers, refused to give his name, walked away and became combative after he was charged with obstruction of justice. Farabella told NBC10 the video only shows a part of what happened and that Cottman took a fighting stance before the officers restrained him. He believes the officers followed proper protocol.
Cottman was treated and released from the hospital. He was later arrested for an unrelated child support warrant and is now facing more charges for Tuesday night’s incident, including aggravated assault on police, resisting arrest by force and disorderly conduct. Jackson meanwhile wants to see video that shows what led to the caught on camera confrontation. She also is considering legal action against the officers.
“I want to see police punished for their actions,” Jackson said. “They did not act according to their job description.”
Both officers involved in the incident remain on duty. Millville Police and the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office are still investigating the incident however.
