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A police officer in Paterson has been arrested on charges stemming from an alleged assault prosecutors say he committed while on duty at the end of last month.
The county's prosecutor announced the arrest Friday of Paterson Police Officer Spencer Finch, 44, for charges of official misconduct and aggravated assault, as well as tampering with public records.
The Mahwah, New Jersey, man is accused of severely beating a person on May 26 while in uniform and on duty.
Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said the officer allegedly struck a victim in the face, hit the victim several times with a flashlight and kneed the victim in the face. Following the assault, Finch is accused of submitting a false police report of the incident.
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Finch faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges filed against him. He is scheduled to make a virtual court appearance Saturday.
The chief of the Paterson Police Department was not available to comment on the charges, announced late Friday. Contact information for Finch's lawyer was not known.
