A New York man has filed a suit accusing New Jersey state troopers of covering up a November 2014 beer bottle attack outside MetLife Stadium that left him with a broken nose and other injuries.
Nicholas Guidi of Holbrook, on Long Island, filed a lawsuit in December against the state, State Police, Trooper Steven Hodge and two other troopers, NJ.com reported.
Guidi's attorneys said Guidi, a San Francisco 49ers fan, was celebrating with his brother and friends as they were leaving the stadium parking lot following a New York Giants loss to the 49ers.
Hodge and his brother began arguing with Guidi, the attorneys said, and the visibly intoxicated Hodge later returned to Guidi's vehicle, identified himself as a trooper, and struck Guidi in the face with a beer bottle.
Trooper Christopher Madia said in a police report he later arrested Guidi after Hodge and his brother said Guidi smeared blood on the hood of their pickup truck. Guidi kicked and head-butted the windows after being placed in handcuffs and taken to a trooper's vehicle, Madia said.
"Instead of (Hodge) being locked up on scene for attacking someone, the victim of that violence was arrested, and Trooper Madia essentially covered it up," one of Guidi's attorneys, Josh McMahon said.
Madia declined to comment.
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Hodge has been suspended without pay following the off-duty incident, the newspaper reported.
He was indicted last fall, however, the charges haven't been released.
Guidi's attorneys, Brian Schiller and McMahon, said troopers covered up the attack by describing him as drunk and violent in a police report and arresting him on a bogus disorderly conduct charge, which was dismissed in August.
Hodge's attorney, Robert Ebberup, denies the allegations. He declined to comment further.
An attorney general's office spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit. Lawyers for the state have disputed Guidi's contentions in court documents.
