New explosive video shows former Bradley Beach Police Chief Leonard Guida yelling, cursing and threatening to fire a patrolman on the scene of a moped crash.

The 2022 incident first prompted the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the chief’s behavior.

The bodycam video from Patrolman Edwin Hernandez was taken back in July 2022, at the scene of a moped crash in Bradley Beach. Chief Leonard Guida then confronts him.

“You better explain to me what you f****** did there. You better have a good explanation a damn good explanation. Otherwise, you got a real f****** problem, so you better tell me a good explanation,” he’s seen yelling at Hernandez.

Guida is then seen yelling at Hernandez for blocking the road with his patrol vehicle before checking on the victim and then threatens his job. 

According to the Monmouth County prosecutor’s report, this incident set off a long investigation, and from the video, the prosecutor found Chief Guida violated several rules including failing to treat other employees with respect, failing to obey laws and ordinances within the department and failing to exercise proper use of their command.

The prosecutor’s scathing report on this, and other complaints against the chief, was completed back in mid-January and delivered to the mayor who never showed council. Monmouth County issued it to the public on March 1 close to the 45-day deadline for council to take any disciplinary action.  The chief was allowed to retire six months early, but the council called an emergency meeting on March 3 to begin disciplinary measures against Guida.

This week, former Chief Leonard Guida filed a lawsuit against the council, saying he felt the special meeting held March 3 to begin disciplinary procedures was illegal.

News 12 reached out to the attorney representing the former chief and was told he is tied up with court work through the end of the month.

In a statement to News 12, Councilman John Weber says:

“The March 3 meeting was a legitimate meeting. Our ordinances and state statute allows for such a meeting. We met all of the criteria. We had to have the meeting on that day because it was the 45th day after the Monmouth County prosecutors office, sent their report about Mr. Guida to the mayor and acting borough administrator. Since the mayor sat on the report for 43 days, keeping it from the council, and since it was released to the public on the 43rd day we had to act. State law says that once an investigation like that is complete, you have 45 days to start disciplinary proceedings. Since the mayor played “hide the ball” for 43 days, we had to act when we did.”