Prosecutor: 3 Paterson police officers covered up NYPD captain’s domestic violence incident

The alleged incident happened on Dec. 10, 2022. The officers are now facing multiple charges.

Matt Trapani

Mar 26, 2024, 2:19 AM

Updated 262 days ago

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Three Paterson police officers are facing charges for allegedly covering for an NYPD captain.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office says the officers, identified as Giuseppe Ciarla, 42, Juan Cruz-Fernandez, 29, and Jason Schmid, 34, did not sufficiently investigate a domestic violence incident that occurred on Dec. 10, 2022.
Officials say the officers were called to the home of Hariton Marachilian, who identified himself as a captain with the NYPD. Officials say the officers saw a woman with visible injuries on her face but did not investigate how she got the injuries, nor did they call for any medical treatment for her.
“The Paterson Officers did not search for or collect physical evidence. Marachilian was permitted to drive away from the scene by the officers and was not charged with any Domestic Violence offenses at the time,” officials wrote in a statement.
The officers are now facing multiple charges, including official misconduct.