It’s a widely held belief that police officers get special treatment from their colleagues when they’re accused of breaking the law.
According to Tom Scurria of Waterford, NJ, he actually witnessed this very conduct, and his allegations have launched internal affairs investigations in two area police departments.
The situation began on a Sunday afternoon when Scurria, with his wife in the car, was driving west on the White Horse Pike near Atoc Brewing Company.
A car driving in the opposite direction suddenly took a left hand turn directly in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes and nearly causing an accident.
Scurria followed the car into the Town Center plaza parking lot and confronted the driver, Nicholas Gagliardi, who was able to exit his car only with difficulty.
Gagliardi explained that he was a Camden police officer, and though he denied drinking, Scurria said that he kept repeating that nothing would happen to him because he’s a cop, after he learned that Scurria had called the police.
Indeed, when Waterford Police arrived on the scene, Scurria says he and his wife were questioned extensively, and police only performed a field sobriety test on Gagliardi a full hour after the incident.
Gagliardi was ultimately arrested and is currently suspended, pending an internal affairs investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, Waterford’s internal affairs department is investigating the behavior of the officers who responded to Scurria’s call to determine whether their actions were timely and appropriate.
Not everybody gets to hide behind a badge when they’re accused of drunk driving.
If you’re facing DWI or related charges in New Jersey, an experienced DWI defense attorney can make a big difference in your case.
Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 and talk to a lawyer for free.
