Acting AG reminds N.J. police about racial profiling ban after Black teen cuffed at mall

After controversy over the treatment of a Black teenager who was handcuffed by police at a Bridgewater mall, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin on Friday reminded law enforcement leaders of a policy barring “racially-influenced policing.”

In a letter to all law enforcement agency executives, Platkin said he would not comment on the specifics of the Bridgewater case. Platkin cited a 2005 attorney general’s directive that banned sworn or civilian members of law enforcement from considering race or ethnicity in deciding if the person was involved in criminal activity.

“This week, a video recording of police officers in New Jersey breaking up a fight between two teenagers circulated widely in the media. Many have commented on the appearance of racially disparate treatment of the two teens by the officers involved. I will not comment on the specifics of the recording here,” Platkin wrote.

“Regardless of that investigation’s outcome, even the appearance of racially disparate treatment is detrimental to community and law enforcement relations, and to public confidence in the criminal justice system,” he wrote.

As acting attorney general, Platkin has wide authority over local, county and state law enforcement agencies. The office sets statewide directives, which are policies that police agencies must follow.

Issued on June 28, 2005, the attorney general’s directive created a statewide policy related to the practice of “racially-influenced policing.”

“The Directive prohibits sworn officers and civilian employees of law enforcement agencies in the State of New Jersey from considering a person’s race or ethnicity as a factor in drawing an inference or conclusion that the person may be involved in criminal activity or as a factor in exercising police discretion as to how to stop or otherwise treat the person,” Platkin’s letter said.

Meanwhile, officials said the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office was investigating the circumstances surrounding the police response at the Bridgewater Commons mall.

The video, which was shared on social media, showed a Black teen and a white teen arguing before a fight breaks out between the two. The Black teen can be heard saying, “you gotta stop right now” before the white teen points his finger in the other teen’s face, the video shows.

The 56-second clip shows the Black teen swatting the white teen’s hand away, then the other teen can be seen pushing him with both hands. Both teens traded blows, scuffled and fell over mall furniture before two Bridgewater police officers intervened. The other teen is seen over top of the Black teen, who is on the floor, when police pull them apart.

Each officer grabbed a teen. The Black teen was taken to the ground by an officer while the white teen was pulled to a couch.

The NAACP-New Jersey State Conference this week called on the Bridgewater Police Department to remove the officers involved in the fight from duty as investigators review the incident.

“When Bridgewater police found two youths fighting, the immediate reaction was to aggressively throw the black child to the ground, knee placed around the neck area and cuffed behind the back,” the NAACP said in a statement. “At the same time, the white youth, at least equally at fault for the fight as his black counterpart, was carefully eased onto a couch and treated like a victim.”

Gov. Phil Murphy said he was “deeply disturbed” by what the video showed.

“Although an investigation is still gathering the facts about this incident, I’m deeply disturbed by what appears to be racially disparate treatment in this video,” Murphy said on Twitter. “We’re committed to increasing trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.”

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at ta******@nj************.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Noah Cohen may be reached at nc****@nj************.com.