Demand Charges for Officer Who Brutally Beat Suicidal Man in New Jersey

On March 5, a man in Paterson, New Jersey, called emergency services because he was feeling suicidal. By the time his ordeal had passed, he had to undergo extensive surgery on an eye and his face because police officers assaulted him.

Sign on if you think police officers who assault a suicidal person should not be police officers.

FBI investigators say two Paterson Police Department officers attacked the man - whose name has been withheld until the probe concludes - with the incidents captured on video at a local hospital. There, Officer Roger Then and another officer both assaulted the man several times; in one case, punching him while he sat in a wheelchair, another while laying in bed.

Right now, Officer Then is under arrest by the FBI and may face as many as 13 years behind bars. Unfortunately, his partner remains unnamed to the public and has no charges against him; department officials say he has been taken off active duty.

This is unacceptable. According to those who have viewed the footage of the assaults, both officers were strongly complicit in the crime that transpired, and as such, both officers must face prosecution – not just paid vacation.

Add your name to this petition to make it clear that all law enforcement officers involved in this sad story are held accountable before the law.