Otto, the 5-year-old German shepherd that was shot and killed by a Wyckoff police officer, is shown in this photo provided by the family.
MAY 20, 2015, 12:57 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015, 8:06 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
WYCKOFF — A police internal report has been released showing the chain of events that ended with an officer’s fatal shooting of a family’s dog on April 29.
The report released Tuesday by the Police Department includes a description by Lt. David Murphy, who had been on traffic duty near Lawlins Road, of the shooting’s immediate aftermath.
Murphy found Patrolman Kyle Ferreira “very distraught” and “pacing back and forth” after he’d responded to the wrong address on a possible burglary call and shot Otto, the Vukobratovic family’s 5-year-old German shepherd.
“He was shaking his head and several times, he put both hands on top of his head. To me, he appeared to be visibly upset by whatever events had transpired prior to my arrival,” Murphy said.
Algis Setikas, who lives across the street at 621 Lawlins Road, had reported the possible burglary after finding damage to a window screen and exterior light bulb. The report said he had gone to the Police Department in person so as to not disturb his wife, recovering from surgery, or his newborn.
Minutes later, a police car pulled up in front of his house, but the officer never came to the door. As Setikas walked towards the car, the report said, he heard “four or five consecutive loud bangs,” and looked across the street to see Ferreira in what he described as a “shooting stance.” Setikas checked on his family, then ran to the Vukobratovics, yelling to Ferreira that he had the wrong house.
“He observed that the officer was standing on the driveway outside of the gate with his hands on his head, looking upset and distraught,” the report said.
MAY 19, 2015, 10:14 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015, 10:42 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Around 150 members of Bergen County building trades unions attended an East Rutherford Council meeting on Tuesday urging the borough to pass a resolution and introduce an ordinance for the bonds necessary to pave the way for completion of the American Dream project. The Council passed the resolution.
EAST RUTHERFORD — About 150 members of area trade unions came to Borough Hall on Tuesday evening to urge the Borough Council to take the next steps necessary so the American Dream project can get fully under way, and the governing body did just that.
Taking action before a standing-room-only audience that overflowed into the halls, the council — despite several dissenting members — passed a resolution revising terms of its bond agreement with developer Triple Five for the shopping and entertainment complex. In addition, the council introduced an ordinance relating to the Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes, or PILOT program, associated with the development.
With those actions, part of a plan to have the borough act as a no-risk conduit for construction loans, the state Local Finance Board will now be able to review the amended finance agreement for approval. The goal is to get the ordinance on the agenda for the board’s June meeting.
The actions came as Rick Sabato, president of the Bergen County Building and Construction Trades Councils, implored the local governing body to support the project so that many of the area’s unemployed union members can get back to work. A year ago, Sabato estimated that American Dream will create jobs for 9,000 of his members over the next three years and beyond.
WESTWOOD – An opportunity for Bergen Republicans to pick up a mayoral seat in Westwood in the aftermath of disturbances among local Democrats can still be gained if the local Westwood GOP puts pen to paper, according to Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) Chairman Bob Yudin. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
MAY 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
TEANECK — Bergen County isn’t exactly horse country. Few here seem to closely follow horse racing, preferring baseball and football to the sight of thoroughbreds tearing up a dirt track at 40 miles per hour.
But this year may be different — in Teaneck, anyway.
That’s because American Pharoah, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes this month, is in a position to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. And the horse’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, an Egyptian-born businessman, has lived in the township for 30 years.
“It’s definitely a lot of buzz locally,” Mayor Lizette Parker said, adding that she has received messages from friends both near and far who have been watching the races, wondering if American Pharoah will be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, in 1978.
Around the township on Monday afternoon, many acknowledged that they don’t regularly follow horseracing. But those who know Zayat, who lives with his wife and four children on Warwick Avenue — a wide, quiet street in a section of the township with a large Orthodox Jewish population — said they have been tuning in to the races specifically to root for American Pharoah.
The Zayats’ neighbors described them as social and friendly people who are active in community and school affairs.
MAY 18, 2015, 10:28 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 10:31 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Law enforcement officials, alarmed by Islamic State’s sophisticated online recruitment campaigns and by the rising number of young people they’ve caught trying to join the extremist group, are reaching out to warn community leaders and clergy across New Jersey.
“It is a threat to our young people. It is a threat to the future of all of us,” said William Gale, supervisory special agent for the FBI’s Newark Division, in a recent forum in Wayne.
Aside from delivering warnings about the Islamic State’s luring of young people, meetings between law enforcement and Muslims in metro areas around the country are intended to open lines of communication and provoke an exchange of information, federal agents say. Muslims leaders, who have hosted the talks, say the outreach is a sign of cooperation.
But for Muslims whose forebears built local businesses and institutions, emotions provoked by talk of Islamic extremism mingle with a certain wariness that their communities could be stigmatized by the actions of a few. The worry becomes palpable with fresh memories of undercover spying by NYPD on New Jersey mosques and Muslim student groups.
MAY 18, 2015, 4:43 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 6:48 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Print
The Bergen County freeholders have identified just over $1 million in cuts they want to make in the $531 million 2015 budget submitted last month by County Executive James Tedesco.
The proposed cuts are spread across several departments. An exact breakdown was not immediately available.
The cuts may be partially offset by an addition to the budget. The freeholders want to increase spending on the Bergen County Cooperative Library System by $125,000.
A formal introduction of the budget is expected expected later this month.
Tedesco proposed a budget that calls for a 1.7 percent increase in county taxes. That would translate into a property tax increase of $12.73 for a home assessed at the county average of $324,000.
Sheriff Michael Saudino told the freeholders that folding the County Police into his department will save the county nearly $2 million through retirements. The freeholder board approved consolidating the two agencies last year after several years of debate.
Prosecutor John Molinelli told the board that he plans to hire seven former County Police officers to fill vacancies for investigators within his office.
The county will save about $730,760, Molinelli said, because money for those salaries is already in his budget. The savings are based on the presumption that the Sheriff will not fill the vacancies in his department left by the departing county police officers.
Molinelli said four of the seven new hires will continue as members of the regional SWAT team, but they will no longer receive an extra stipend for that work.
the Saddle River PoliceSaddle River Police report that on Sunday May 17, 2015 at approximately 9:00 PM a resident from the Oak Road area reported that their small dog had just fought with a coyote and managed to escape. The dog was taken by its owner to an animal hospital for treatment. Officers responded to the area and were unsuccessful in locating the coyote. TYCO Animal Control was notified and is working with the State Division of Wildlife on this incident. The dog is up to date with its vaccinations and is now home recovering with its family.
Due to recent events involving coyotes and other wildlife in the Tri-State area, residents should not leave small animals and or children outside unattended. Residents should also be aware that larger dogs have been targeted and attacked in other jurisdictions.
If your pet is attacked be careful not to touch any saliva left on their fur or hair by a bite from another animal. If the animal is rabid, this saliva could transmit the rabies virus. Wash your hands immediately and thoroughly if they come in contact with saliva from a wild animal. Your pet may also need to be washed if it doesn’t require immediate medical attention.
All pet owners are reminded to keep their animals up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
Keeping vaccinations current will prevent a pet from possibly being subjected to a lengthy quarantine or euthanized if it has an encounter with a rabid animal.
The Health Department reminds everyone to stay clear of all wildlife, especially any that are acting sick or unusually friendly. If you see suspicious acting wildlife please report them immediately to the Saddle River Police Department.
MAY 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD
Why we have more coyotes, and how we can coexist
The past eight years have seen an increase in the number of coyotes in the metropolitan area, so he’s made an effort to inform residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut about what to expect when they live near coyotes.
He will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Closter Public Library about the history, biology and behavior of coyotes.
Q. Why are we seeing an increase in the number of coyotes and other wildlife in our neighborhoods and parking lots?
Some of it is overdevelopment. A lot of it is that these surviving generations of turkeys, coyotes and bears are adapting to these urban areas. So now we have to adapt to them. We also have to see if people are perpetuating it through feeding them, which is something that needs to be discouraged. I’m not supportive of bird feeders, because it’s getting animals conditioned to people in an unnatural way. Animals are very efficient and can get food on their own.
Q. How can we better respect the wildlife in our midst?
Definitely give the wildlife respect and as wide a berth as possible. In regards to coyotes and even bobcats, people have to be less complacent about their pets. You shouldn’t leave your pets out in your yards. It also means driving a little more slowly on the Palisades Interstate Parkway to make sure you don’t hit anything. You need to take precautions, like not leaving garbage out for raccoons and bears. You should plant things in your back yard that are aesthetic but are not palatable for deer, rabbits and other wildlife.
“Although this was a family pet, those images of a family dog are not the same image the officer had when he was attacked by an animal that has been described by the owner as a guard dog,” Fox wrote in a public letter disclosing details from the fatal shooting.
“As a result, I have exonerated him from any claim questioning his truthfulness in this incident,” the chief concluded.
Presenting such a detailed, lengthy statement is a rare move for a local police chief.
“Many facts have been misrepresented and it is my intention for this report to provide a level of transparency to the investigation that the dog’s owner deserves,” Fox’s 4½-page public letter begins.
“Additionally, due to the widespread media coverage and social media statements, I believe that it is in the public interest to provide an understanding of how this investigation has been handledby this police agency,” it says. “The integrity of any police department is fundamental to the community it serves.”
A Bergen County Communications Center dispatcher sent Officer Kyle Ferreira to the correct address at 621 Lawlins Road after the homeowner went to headquarters to report a burglary but the officer heard it wrong, Fox said. When he repeated back the wrong address, the dispatcher didn’t correct him, the chief said.
The dispatcher also incorrectly referred to the burglary as days old but was never told that by anyone, he emphasized.
The officer knocked on the door, didn’t get a response, then entered an unlocked gate to check the property.
“There was no sign to indicate the possible presence of a dog,” Fox wrote.
In back, Ferreira found an open ground-floor window.
With no cars in the driveway, nobody answering and “his observation of what he believed to be the point of entry in a burglary,” the chief wrote, “his concerns about what exactly was taking place caused him to unholster his firearm.
“Attorney General guidelines allow for such action when the circumstances create a reasonable belief that it may be necessary to use the firearm,” Fox said.
He then emphasized: “Even though the dispatcher incorrectly informed the officer that the event was days old, a police officer is going to evaluate a situation based on their personal observations at that precise moment in time.
“Those personal observations and the requirement to protect oneself from potential harm are why a police officer should not be guided solely by the words of a radio transmission,” the chief added. “The dispatcher stated it happened quite awhile in the past, like days. What does that mean? Was the homeowner on vacation for days and just discovered this? Why would a window be left standing open for days? Is a burglar still in the home.
“The officer did not know the full details of this situation. For his personal protection while he was there, alone; he chose to unholster his firearm.”
Ferreira then heard “what he described as aggressive barking of a dog coming from the inside of the home,” Fox wrote. “A full grown German Shepherd jumped of the window and charged at the officer in an aggressive manner.”
Ferreira then “began running towards the gate that he entered in an effort to escape,” the chief added.
“Near the edge of the patio area that he had been standing on, the dog bit him on his right boot[,] latching on to him.”
The AG’s guidelines allow officers to use deadly force to protect themselves when faced with “imminent danger of death or serious body harm.”
Given the Shepherd’s size and aggressiveness, Fox wrote, the officer felt “that if the dog took him down it could have mauled him[,] causing serious bodily injury.”
Ferriera fired four rounds, which were heard in rapid successor by a police lieutenant who went to the scene, the chief said.
“Officer Ferreira stated that he believes that the dog let him go after the first shot but it continued to come at him,” Fox wrote. “He stopped firing after the dog turned and went back towards the house.
“The officer then exited the fenced area through the gate he entered an radioed for assistance.”
Although people claimed on social media the next day that police were lying, Fox said no one came forward, so he sent officers out to try and find witnesses.
Canvassing the neighboring homes, they found a woman who lives across the street who said she watched from a first-floor window that Fox said “provided a limited partial view of the rearyard[,] as much of the rear yard area was blocked by the house itself.”
Fox emphasized that he was not discrediting the woman but simply confirming “what, exactly, she did observe.”
During her interview with detectives, he said, “she stated that she was only about 90% certain that she observed the entire incident. She further stated that she was pre-occupied with a grandchild and may have turned away at some point.
“She also stated that she never saw the officer unholster his firearm, and she did not see the dog biting the officer,” the chief added.
“The detectives concluded that as the officer ran from the rear portion of the home to a point that the witness could see, she likely did observe the officer after the dog let him go and observed one or more gunshots.
“This was an event that unfolded in only seconds.”
Given the nature of the comments made by citizens, Fox sid he enlisted oversight assistance from Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli to “elminate any concerns or allegations of a bias[ed] investigation.”
They advised him to conduct an internal affairs investigaiton, which he said he did.
The investigators confirmed that Fereira went to the wrong house, which “admittedly…makes the shooting of the dog more difficult to accept,” Fox wrote.
The “focused on the issue of whether the officer was being truthful” and “uncovered nothing to suggest otherwise,” the chief said.
The account he immediately gave while clearly distraught about what just happened was consistent with his written report and his responses to investigators, Fox said.
The chief also noted that he “personally reached out to the family” and was prepared to visit them with Mayor Kevin Rooney to “sit down with them face to face, look themin the eye and tell them what we knew at that point had happened.
“They declined that request,” he wrote — adding that he contacted them again in an attempt to have that discussion.
An attorney for the family then contacted the township, after which Fox said he was directed by the township attorney and insurance carrier that “all communications must be limited to attorneys.”
“[W]e are saddened that this incident ever took place,” he wrote. “We are mindful that the family has lost a pet dog that they loved. We are upset that an error in hearing an incorrect house number put us on that property[,] which allowed the successive events to unfold.”
Fox said he is “responsible for the actions of my officers each and every day.”
He said he has spoke with former Fairview police chief Frank DelVecchio, the director of the Bergen County Communications Center, and “agreed to a dispatch protocol change that will minimize the possibility of an officer going to an incorrect street address.
“The Wyckoff Police Department is not defined by this incident,” Fox concluded. “The officers of this agency serve this community proudly and with integrity. As with every police officer in this state and nation, police face many challenges on a daily basis.
“We’ll continue to serve with pride and integrity”
“Exonerated by a township internal affairs investigation”…. Nobody believes this crap anymore, and yet they just keep expecting tax paying citizens to accept their schtick.
Unanswered questions: why when going to take a report of a “Burglary IN THE PAST” does supercop show up with weapon drawn? (If it was burglary in progress the protocol is to wait for a backup officer)
If the dog owner’s allegation that spent shell casings were found at a location other than reported by the officer, why was this not investigated/clarified?
A simple investigation would determine who is telling the truth here.
I guess wyckoff can save money on billy clubs, pepper spray and flashlights since the non-lethal methods are no longer accepted practice here. Shoot first and no questions will be asked.
Perhaps its time to reevaluate the rules for the use of deadly force ?
MAY 15, 2015, 8:04 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The state Division of Consumer Affairs is warning the public about a scam in which con artists are mailing fake arrest warrants issued by the state Attorney General’s Office to intimidate victims into sending money.
In one “arrest warrant” that was sent to a victim, the letterhead states it was issued by the U.S. District Court and that the victim has been charged with criminal violations like “collateral check fraud” and “theft by deception,” the division said in a statement on Thursday.
The letter says the victim faces “a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison and a fine of up to $24,000” and calls on the victim to pay an “outstanding balance” of $1,876.48. The warrant gives a number with a 609 area code for victims to call to arrange a payment, the division said.
Last month, the division warned that scammers purporting to be representatives of the state Attorney General’s Office were calling victims to demand the payment of nonexistent debts.
MAY 15, 2015, 10:18 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015, 12:17 AM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Wyckoff police officer who fatally shot a German shepherd after going to the wrong address to investigate a burglary report last month has been exonerated by a township internal affairs investigation after the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office declined to look into the matter, authorities said in a news release Friday night.
Township Police Chief Ben Fox issued a five-page statement saying that an investigation by his department had “exonerated” the officer, Kyle Ferreira, “from any claim questioning his truthfulness in this incident.” Fox said the officer believed the dog could “cause serious bodily harm” after it bit him in the foot and latched onto his right boot. And Ferreira followed state Attorney General’s Office guidelines for the use of deadly force, the chief said.
Fox said that he was taking an “unusual step” by releasing details of the investigation because “many facts have been misrepresented.”
He said the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office had declined to investigate the matter, citing state regulations, and sent it back to his department’s internal affairs unit. The chief had asked the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate because “allegations were being made that the police department was not being truthful,” he said in the statement.
MAY 13, 2015, 9:57 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015, 10:00 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
GLEN ROCK — The Borough Council moved Wednesday night to appoint an independent investigator to examine “the general culture within the police department” and the circumstances leading to the recent suspensions of two officers.
A resolution adopted by the council calls for a special “investigation of police department operations” by retired state Superior Court Judge Alexander H. Carver III.
Carver presided over the recent disciplinary hearing for Officer Bryan Scott, one of two officers suspended from the force back in late December.
The suspensions of Scott and Sgt. Christopher McInerney were approved by Chief of Police Fred Stahman following an internal affairs investigation into allegations the officers deleted two pictures from the Police Department’s computer server. In addition, Stahman recommended termination for both officers.
In late March, Scott and McInerney were reinstated by the council.
MAY 12, 2015, 5:42 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015, 10:11 PM
BY MARINA VILLENEUVE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
David Kushner has resigned as president of the Alpine Country Club, officials of the club in Demarest said Tuesday, days after Kushner and his wife, Nanci, pleaded not guilty to charges that they stalked and harassed the Cresskill High School basketball coach.
Investigators tied the Kushners, both 49, to anonymous emails sent to the coach by tracing the IP addresses of the emails, according to records obtained on Tuesday. The emails had come from the Kushners’ home in Cresskill and from the Manhattan offices of David Kushner’s company, Paradigm Capital Funding Group, the records said.
The Kushners also were charged with harassment last week in Tenafly, where police say they sent anonymous emails to a former friend.
Police are also investigating a house party Friday night at the Kushners’ home. A juvenile boy was taken to the hospital for evaluation after suspected alcohol consumption, and authorities seized alcohol, suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia, officials said. David Kushner told police he was out of state at the time, records show.
The quick succession of events brought an abrupt shift for a family well-known over the years in Bergen County society and at high profile charity functions.
MAY 12, 2015, 8:33 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015, 8:33 AM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF AND STEFANIE DAZIO
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
Alpine Country Club President David Kushner and his wife, Nanci, allegedly sent anonymous, harassing emails to Tenafly resident Cory Hechler, according to court papers that were made public Monday.
Hechler, a longtime friend and golfing partner of David Kushner, filed a civil lawsuit last year alleging that Kushner persuaded him to invest in business deals that lost a substantial amount of money.
The Kushners have been charged with harassment in the Tenafly case, which was announced on Friday without the name of the alleged victim.
The Kushners also face charges, made public last week, that they stalked and harassed the Cresskill High School basketball coach by sending anonymous emails in an attempt to get him fired. The Kushners’ son played basketball at Cresskill High School.
Authorities also said Monday that they are investigating an incident Friday night at the Kushners’ home on Adams Drive in Cresskill.
Officers responding to a noise complaint reported that someone at the home was taken to a hospital, and that a quantity of alcohol was seized. Cresskill Deputy Police Chief James Domville said he did not know whether the couple was home at the time.
No charges have been filed in the matter, but the detective bureau is investigating to determine whether underage drinking took place at the home, Domville said. He said he did not know the age of the person taken to the hospital.
