9 Minutes Missing? The Controversial Bodycam Deletion at the Center of a New Jersey Police Brutality Suit
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Rutherford, NJ — A North Jersey municipality is facing a major civil rights battle after a resident filed a federal lawsuit accusing local police officers of a brutal, unprovoked assault.
The lawsuit, filed on May 5, alleges that Rutherford Police Department officers used constitutionally excessive force against Brian Caughey while he was completely immobilized and trapped inside an ambulance compartment.
“What they did to my client was criminal,” stated Marco DiStefano, Caughey’s defense attorney. “At the very least, it’s a violation of the [Attorney General] guidelines, and there need to be repercussions.”
The Allegations: Beaten While “Triply Restrained”
The incident stems from a June 2024 domestic violence altercation. While Caughey acknowledges his initial disorderly behavior and does not challenge the initial decision to take him into physical custody or clear him for a psychiatric evaluation, the lawsuit draws a sharp line at what happened next.
According to court documents, at the time of the alleged assault, Caughey was:
-
Handcuffed.
-
Secured at the waist.
-
Locked at the torso by an over-the-shoulder restraint harness.
The complaint emphasizes that Caughey was completely unarmed, calm, and posing zero physical threat to anyone in the vehicle when Officer Thomas Kilroe allegedly struck him in the face with a “fist, hand, elbow, knee or another body part.” The impact resulted in a severe, heavily bleeding gash on the right side of his head that required emergency stitches.
“You do not hit somebody that is restrained,” DiStefano argued. “It doesn’t matter if you’re reacting to something.”
The Missing Media: Did Police Edit the Bodycam Footage?
A central and explosive element of the lawsuit involves a suspected cover-up by the Rutherford Police Department. The encounter was captured on body-worn cameras (BWCs) by Officer John Ahearn and an unnamed colleague.
However, Caughey’s legal team reveals a massive discrepancy in the evidence:
-
9.5 Minutes Deleted: Nearly nine and a half minutes of crucial footage were completely cut or missing from Officer Ahearn’s camera.
-
Convenient Timing: When the second officer’s footage abruptly begins, Caughey is already bleeding heavily from his fresh head wound. The actual strike occurred entirely off-camera during the unexplained media gap.
The complaint alleges that the editing, re-encoding, and scrubbing of the video files were actively performed by, or under the direction of, Rutherford Police Department agents specifically to eliminate the visual record of the physical assault.
The Legal Blueprint & Systemic Demands
The federal complaint names the Borough of Rutherford, the Rutherford Police Department, Officer Thomas Kilroe, and Officer John Ahearn. It alleges civil rights violations, failure to intervene by surrounding staff, and an unconstitutional policy of inadequate training regarding the use of force.
| What the Plaintiff is Demanding | Purpose of Legal Action |
| Complete Uncut Evidence | Demanding all native, unedited BWC footage, dashboard videos, dispatch audio, internal logs, and EMS files. |
| Policy Reformation | Forcing the borough to revise and completely overhaul its current use-of-force and internal affairs protocols. |
| Mandatory Training | Establishing strict new training regimens regarding body-worn camera accountability and de-escalation. |
| Financial Damages | Seeking compensation for severe, ongoing physical and emotional trauma, alongside full legal fees. |
Rutherford Borough Administrator Robert Kakoleski has not yet returned public calls for comment. All criminal charges initially brought against Caughey regarding the original domestic altercation have since been entirely dropped.
Tell your story #TheRidgewoodblog , #Indpendentnews, #information, #advertise, #guestpost, #affiliatemarketing,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews, #bergencounty, #sponsoredpost, #SponsoredContent, #contentplacement , #linkplacement, Email: [email protected]
Tags: #RutherfordNJ #PoliceBrutality #CivilRightsLawsuit #NorthJerseyNews #BodyCamFootage #LegalNews #ExcessiveForce
yikes…deleted footage…sounds like a coverup….
This is not a surprise. I worked in the Meadowlands for 30+ years.
This town is so fng corrupt you have no idea … the mayor and council are in cahoots and spend money like drunken sailors while continuing to raise taxes… 35000 for new chairs only 10! 1000 for gear and not for the public servants but for them… and it goes on and on. Definitely need DOGE or an investigation here but like all the demoncrats and with this lying governor it will never happen
go figure.. a known drunk who milked the town on a long ‘medical leave’ before retiring
So a few years ago there was a “Brian Caughey” who was promoted to “Patrol Sgt” on RPD – is this the same Brian Caughey? As an FYI the Caughey name goes back decades in RPD – The father a captain – son Chief – another son – Sgt Caughey (grandson?)