A sergeant with New Jersey's Office of Public Integrity & Accountability — which is part of the state Attorney General's Office — was arrested last month after trying to reenter a North Wildwood bar that kicked her out, PhillyVoice reported.
What are the details?
Danielle Oliveira, 32, allegedly tried to sneak back into Kennan's Irish Pub through an exit during a Fall Festival event Sept. 24, the outlet said, adding that bar staff and police warned her to not return. PhillyVoice said it's unclear why Oliveira was kicked out of the pub.
The Office of Public Integrity & Accountability "is tasked with a dual mission: to investigate violations of public trust and to develop policies that would rebuild faith in both government and our criminal justice system. OPIA includes both criminal prosecutors and trained investigators, who work together to prosecute cases involving public corruption, criminal violations of civil rights laws, and illegal use of force by law enforcement officers."
NJ.com said Oliveira is a sergeant with the state Attorney General’s Office, Division of Criminal Justice — and that a colleague told police at the scene that she‘s assigned to the officer-involved “shoot team,” which is officially known as the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability. However, the state Attorney General’s Office didn't address Oliveira’s duty status or assignment, NJ.com added.
PhillyVoice said portions of Oliveira's arrest were captured on police bodycam video obtained by Breaking AC, which first reported on the incident.
In the clip, another woman told police that Oliveira left the bar to take a call about a police-involved shooting that might have required her presence had the shooting been fatal. Breaking AC identified the woman as Lt. Cortney Lawrence, a colleague of Oliveira's in the public integrity office, PhillyVoice said.
But the AG's office website shows no record of a police-involved shooting on the night of Oliveira's arrest, PhillyVoice said, adding that there were no news reports of a police-involved shooting in New Jersey on Sept. 24.
After Oliveira was initially escorted from the pub, a patrolling officer reportedly saw bar staff trying to keep her out, PhillyVoice reported, adding that Oliveira allegedly remained near the bar's exit and continued to argue with staff.
"She kept causing a scene," one officer says to a colleague during the arrest.
Oliveira soon asked cops to send a female supervisor to the scene — and when one showed up and removed a handbag from Oliveira's shoulder, Oliveira cautioned the supervisor "that's a f***ing four-grand bag."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Oliveira told police she's a lieutenant with the New Jersey State Police, PhillyVoice said, adding that she reportedly had been in line for a promotion to lieutenant at the state Attorney General's Office.
The end of the clip shows a handcuffed Oliveira climbing into what's presumably a police vehicle, after which the door slams shut.
Image source: YouTube screenshot
According to PhillyVoice, police said Oliveira would need "someone sober" to sign her out.
Now what?
NJ.com reported that the state Attorney General’s Office asked a county prosecutor to perform an independent review of Oliveira's arrest.
“In an abundance of caution and to avoid the appearance of a potential conflict, we have asked that the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office conduct an independent review of the incident," an office spokesperson told NJ.com.
Oliveira’s lawyer, Timothy R. Smith, told NJ.com his client was falsely arrested, and the local prosecutor should should drop the charge and apologize to his client.
Smith added to NJ.com that the charge police used — defiant trespass — is legally defective, as one cannot attempt a disorderly persons offense, and the video shows it. Police, therefore, falsely arrested Oliveira.
Oliveira has been a state investigator since 2013 and presently earns $101,606 annually, NJ.com said, citing state records.
Attorney General's Office detective arrested after getting kicked out of N. Wildwood baryoutu.be
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