New Jersey Attorney General wants Bridgewater authorities to move faster on controversial mall fight investigation
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. -- There are frustrations over the investigation into a controversial 2022 mall fight in New Jersey.
The fight between two teenagers set off a racial storm when it was believed the Black teenager was being treated differently by police.
Now, the New Jersey Attorney General wants local authorities to move more quickly.
The brawl happened almost exactly a year ago, on Feb. 12, 2022, at the Bridgewater Commons Mall.
The Attorney General says they wrapped up their report and are frustrated by the pace local government is moving, but authorities in Bridgewater say they've been doing their job.
Video showed the two teenagers brawling and the fight being broken up by police officers.
A 14-year-old Black boy, identified as Z'kye, was handcuffed and forced to the ground.
A 15-year-old boy, who is of Colombian and Pakistani descent but perceived to be white, was placed on a chair and not handcuffed.
At the time, Z'kye told CBS2 he thought the officers should be fired.
"If they don't know how to treat the situation and deal with the situation equally and fairly, then they shouldn't be able to deal with the situation at all," he said.
Both teenagers were released to their parents and no charges were filed.
Now, the Attorney General's office says in September of 2022, it "completed its investigation and sent a comprehensive Internal Affairs Report and Findings to the Acting Chief of the Bridgewater Township Police Department" for review, but the AG says "that process has taken an inordinate length of time and further delay only frustrates and frays the fragile trust between the public and the law enforcement community."
Bridgewater Mayor Matthew Moench released the following statement in response:
"We have reviewed the Attorney General's statement from earlier today and find it quite perplexing.
"When we attempted repeatedly to engage with the Attorney General's office throughout the spring, summer, and fall of last year, we were essentially stonewalled. If, as the Attorney General claims, there has been a delay that 'frustrates and frays the fragile trust between the public and the law enforcement community' then the responsibility of that delay rests squarely in Trenton, not here in Bridgewater.
"In fact, the Attorney General's office did not supply Bridgewater with its internal affairs investigative report and related discovery until September 28, 2022. Since that time, we have fully apprised the Attorney General's office of the status of the administrative process.
"We can only speculate as to why this matter was delayed unnecessarily for months within the Office of the Attorney General, but consistent with the confidentiality requirements for internal affairs investigations, we will also refrain from further comment on this matter.
"As the process continues, however, the Township will reassess whether our own correspondence related to the Attorney General's authority and undue delays in this matter should be released prior to the conclusion of the administrative proceedings."