Hopatcong police officer pleads guilty after using excessive force

A Hopatcong police officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to simple assault and has lost his job with the department, Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray said.

James D. Still, 39, of Fredon Township used excessive force on a person arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated, the prosecutor said. After Still took the individual to the borough station on Nov. 7, the officer grabbed the person's arm and hair and struck his head against a glass partition in the Hopatcong police station lobby, officials said.

The assault caused injury to the individual's head and face. An investigation was immediately initiated by the Prosecutor Office’s Department of Professional Standards and the Hopatcong Police Department. Footage of the incident was captured on body-worn video, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Under his plea agreement, Still gave up his job in Hopatcong's Police Department and will not be eligible for future public employment. His sentencing his scheduled for June 28.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hopatcong NJ police officer pleads guilty for excessive force