Weinman, who was accused of spitting at the officers, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, throwing bodily fluids, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and obstruction of justice, among other offenses. Weinman, who was under 21 at the time, had gone to the beach on Memorial Day Weekend with her daughter, her father and a friend. Reach him at jwalsh@gannettnj.com or look for him in traffic. The settlement was the subject of a November 4 nonbinding mediation before the judge. In a settlement, she will receive $325,000. Weinman was on the beach with her 18-month-old daughter and a female friend. VOTE: Are you planning on attending the North to Shore Festival in Atlantic City? Wildwood, NJ - A belligerent woman seen spitting and fighting with Wildwood police in a viral video two years ago will receive a $325,000 payday from the city's insurance. The lawsuit said, "With no legal justification, (the officers) assaulted (Weinman) for no other reason than she refused to provide her last name to the beach patrol officers as they attempted to investigate the ownership of a few unopened bottles of Twisted Teas that were propped against a cooler near (Weinman's) beach blanket," according to 6abc. $1.2 Million Galloway Home Offers Absolute Luxury, All Lanes Closed In Atlantic County Parkway Crash: DOT, T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week, Interior Design Insights: An Evening with the Experts, Atlantic County Government: Atlantic County Homeless Consortium Meeting - March 28, Atlantic Cape Community College: Celebrate Atlantic Cape 2023 Art Exhibit To Showcase College Faculty And Staff Artistic Creations, Atlantic County Government: Rabid Raccoon Confirmed In Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County Government: Women's Commission Celebrates Women Who Tell Our Stories, Atlantic County Government: Code Blue Alert Issued For March 19-20. Witnesses recorded the officers tackling Weinman to the ground and punching her as they struggled to restrain her. Birchmeier did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Indeed, Mondays ruling noted, a jury in the whistleblower case returned a verdict in favor of Ferentz, leaving the borough with a $1.7-million bill for damages, counsel fees and costs.. They acted more like WWE wrestlers when they told her she was 'About to get dropped' and then proceeded to assault her. Ferentz regained her job when Fox reclaimed the mayors office in June 2012. The two officers involved, Cannon and Robert Jordan, were dismissed from the lawsuit earlier this month as settlement discussions were being finalized, according to court documents. Dont touch me. Shes down there with alcohol. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Im a woman! Weinmans attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, declined to comment. Wildwood resident Steven Elliot filed a lawsuit against a St. Louis County Police-Wildwood (6th) Precinct officer, indicating his civil rights were violated. But in a 2018 interview with NBC 10, Troiano maintained the police body-cam footage showed a more two-sided picture of the incident. In a whistleblower lawsuit, Ferentz alleged the internal investigation was retaliation for her complaints alleging misconduct by then-Mayor Herbert Frederick. He argued that the settlement sends a message that members of the public can 'treat the cops like they're trash' and then get a payout. West Wildwood mayor told cops to lay off political allies, lawsuit states. This lawsuit accuses Fox, the current mayor, of also meddling in police affairs. Heres a woman whos carrying on on the beach, assaulted police, Troiano said. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. Finally, one of the officers is seen punching her while she screams. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Please subscribe to keep reading. Keep it Clean. ET. The investigation was reportedly initiated after some employees . The settlement reportedly was approved by the Atlantic County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, which represents several municipalities in South Jersey according to NJ Advance Media. The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office indicted Weinman on assault charges in September 2019 for the Memorial Day incident. Former Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano, Jr., who was mayor when incident occurred and has been outspoken in supporting the two officers, told NJ Advance Media Monday that the settlement is a travesty and a miscarriage of justice.. J.T. The Wildwood Police Department, located in Wildwood, New Jersey is a law enforcement agency that has been granted specific police powers in Cape May County. Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In July 2016, Mawhinney says, he was told by both Dodd and Ferentz there were only three houses in the whole community that officers should target and continually write summonses against, in hopes it would run the occupants out of town because the mayor did not want them in his town as they did not support (him), according to the lawsuit. WILDWOOD Four Congressmen from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland are on a mission to put a hard stop to offshore wind development in the Mid-Atlantic . But Weinman filed a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania against Wildwood and the police department, claiming they exaggerated her resistance to justify their unreasonable and excessive use of force, the Star-Ledger said. Wildwood settles lawsuit for more than $300K with woman who was involved in violent beach arrest - nj.com. The committee initiated an internal investigation into Ferentz's actions at the police department, leading to disciplinary charges in 2011. She was sentenced to one year of probation, during which time she is barred from Wildwood's beaches. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. All rights reserved (About Us). ET. She has also called for the officers to be fired. The city of Wildwood has settled a federal civil lawsuit filed by a woman who was arrested by two cops in a violent encounter that was captured on video and drew national attention to the Jersey Shore town in 2018, NJ Advance Media has learned. VOTE: Do you support wind energy off the coast of New Jersey? We'd love to hear eyewitness But Weinman filed a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania against Wildwood and the police department, claiming they exaggerated her resistance "to justify their unreasonable and excessive use of. Dont touch me, Weinman responds. A video of the encounter was shared to social media and drew national attention to the Jersey Shore town. You can cancel at any time. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. WEST WILDWOOD - This tiny borough has a big bill to pay. Officials, crowd almost unanimously opposed to offshore wind at Ocean City meeting, Atlantic City lawyer departs local job for New Jersey Attorney General's Office, Linwood man pleads guilty to role in ongoing health care fraud case. We've received your submission. person will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Fox did not return a request for comment. 374 were here. Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron, who was a Wildwood commissioner at the time of the arrest, did not immediately return a call asking for comment, nor did Birchmeier. The lawsuit also says the mayor held a meeting Sept. 6, 2017, with the Police Department telling officers to only write tickets against the residents of the three specific houses and not against his allies. The officers who carried out the arrest were cleared of wrongdoing after previously being under a non-criminal but internal investigation. Treat the cops like theyre trash, break the law, if you want a pay day.. October 14, 2019 / 10:35 PM More:New trial ordered for Sicklerville man convicted of robbing Winslow bank, More:Father and son face gun, drug charges after Buena Vista raid, More:Philadelphia men accused of robbing FedEx drivers in Evesham, More:NJ Restaurants: Healthy Garden Cafe is about to open in Collingswood. The lawsuit denied those allegations made by police. Emily Weinman, of Philadelphia, filed the lawsuit in federal court in New Jersey Monday against the city of Wildwood, class II police officers Thomas Cannon and Robert Jordan and Lt. Kenneth . On the body-camera footage, the officer is heard telling her, Thats it, youre about to get dropped., Weinman, in turn, can be heard yelling: Youre not allowed to beat me like that! I'm a features writer based at the Jersey Shore, covering Atlantic City, beach culture, power grabs, arts, and, maybe for the last time, Miss America. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The officers claimed Weinman became combative during the encounter. Castellani, however, said as he understood it, the matter was sent back to the borough to be handled as an internal affairs matter. We are committed to protecting, preserving and safeguarding the constitutional and civil rights of our citizens through professional and impartial law enforcement. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. First published on October 14, 2019 / 10:35 PM. Mondays ruling acknowledged those moves did not help the insurance fund, which had agreed to defend the borough against the whistleblower lawsuit. The boroughs deductible is $20,000 in the case, and the borough will be responsible for an undetermined amount in co-pays, Birchmeier said. WEST WILDWOOD There will be a borough commissioners meeting Wednesday at 3 p.m. the firs. Notice of the settlement, first reported by N.J.com, was contained in a letter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Sandra Moore Wells filed last month by James Birchmeier, the attorney for Wildwood. Birchmeier said he strongly recommended the borough accept the settlement. 5 min read. The officers claimed the woman kicked and spit at them. Due to . ', According to Weinman's federal complaint,the officers arrested her by 'forcefully pushing her face and head into the sand, pulling her hair, twisting her arms, placing their full body weight on her, choking her, and eventually striking her in the face and head area with closed fists.'. The two-judge panel on Monday found the borough committee had deliberately breached a clause in a policy with the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund when it secretly settled a separate legal dispute with the same officer, Jackie Ferentz, in October 2012. He also said the Cape May County Prosecutors Office and state Attorney Generals Office found no criminal wrongdoing by Fox and Ferentz. A non-criminal but internal investigation in violent beach arrest - nj.com officers is seen punching her as struggled. At them before the judge, of also meddling in police affairs recommended the borough against the whistleblower lawsuit Ferentz. 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