Hearings for NJ cop who was
'stopping excessive force'
Bogota Officer Regina Tasca was
suspended from duty after stepping in
BOGOTA, N.J. — Disciplinary hearings
continued Thursday for a Bogota officer suspended from duty for allegedly
interfering with an arrest.
Officer Regina Tasca said she was
preventing “excessive use of force" by stepping in when Ridgefield Park
police tackled and punched an emotionally disturbed man in April last year in
an effort to subdue him.
Kyle Sharp's parents had called
authorities for help getting him to the hospital.
Video from Tasca’s dash cam has been
at the center of the case, with Thursday’s proceedings focusing on how Capt.
James Sepp, head of internal affairs, handled interviews with Sharp’s parents,
NJ.com reported.
Tasca's attorney, Catherine Elston,
asked Sepp if he overstepped bounds when he told Sharp's mother he thought
Ridgefield Park police had acted appropriately before an investigation was
finished.
"She asked me if I felt that
was right, and I agreed with them," Sepp said. "I didn't feel that
this was a case of excessive force."
Ridgefield Park Sergeant Chris
Thibault previously testified that Sharp posed a danger to the public and
himself, but Sharp’s parents – who initially called police about his erratic
behavior – disagreed.
Sepp interviewed them several times
over the course of his investigation, and Elston argued he treated their
accounts with skepticism, playing up minor inconsistencies.
The couple was "emotional"
and "confused" during the confrontation, according to Sepp, who said
Ken Sharp’s recollection of events differed from what was seen in the video.
Hearings are expected to stretch into June.