A former p*olice o*fficer in Paterson, New Jersey, has been s* entenced to six months behind b* ars for videot*aping his partner s* lapping a person.
Ex-Paterson P*olice officer Roger Then pleaded g*uilty Tuesday to recording his partner b* eat a h*ospital p*atient repeatedly who a*ttempted s* uicide.
According to the Paterson Press, Then blamed his partner for f* orcing him to behave in i* nappropriate ways while on duty.
The 29-year-old A*rmy National Guardsman said his partner, 27-year-old Ruben McAusland, had a history of c*orruption.
“I dreaded going to work,” Then said in c* ourt regarding his relationship with McAusland. “Since he was my senior o*fficer, I had to do whatever he said, no questions asked.”
Then claimed he recorded the p*atient and McAusland exchanging b*arbs. He never admitted to videotaping the a* ssault.
Assistant U.S. A*ttorney Rahul Agarwal told the j*udge to disregard the former o*fficer's explanation because of the events before the recorded a* ssault.
McAusland reportedly p* unched the p*atient in the waiting area. Due to Then's refusal to report the a* ssault, Agarwal recommended the c* onvicted o*fficer receive the maximum s* entence of six months.
“You cannot hide behind a wall of non-revelation because you are part of a group of those that possess blue b*lood,” J*udge William Walls said. “You have to pay the price so hopefully others won’t do what you did.”
According to NJ.com, Then and his partner went to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center on March 5, 2018. They were assigned to monitor the s* uicide p*atient.
Surveillance f*ootage caught the p*atient th* rowing gloves at the h*ospital staff and McAusland p* unching him.
In Then's video, viewers can see the v* ictim l*aying on a h* ospital bed as the 27-year-old s* lapped the man at least t*wo times. There is a bit of b*lood splattered on the white sheets. It is not clear if it was there before the a* ssault.
McAusland pleaded g*uilty to selling s* tolen m* arijuana, h* eroin, and p*owder and c*rack c* ocaine last year. He was s* entenced to five years last week for his part.
We can't share the footage on facebook, watch it HERE
