A Bayonne man has filed a federal lawsuit against the city?s police department, claiming officers used pepper spray and assaulted him without cause.
The lawsuit names six officers. At least four of those officers can be seen on a video recorded by a witness.
Rios says he called authorities after finding his own car on fire.
Officers allege that Rios became verbally combative with at least one of the firefighters, and failed to comply with officers who told him to calm down.
Rios was charged with resisting arrest and obstruction. Those charges have since been downgraded.
The Bayonne Police Department has not commented on the lawsuit.