Wall police officer stands by arrest of police captain

Todd Verrecchia says he was just doing his job. The Wall Township police officer defended arresting his captain on the stand Tuesday in the drunken driving case against his boss, Captain Bernard Sullivan.Sullivan

News 12 Staff

May 9, 2007, 12:22 AM

Updated 6,589 days ago

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Todd Verrecchia says he was just doing his job. The Wall Township police officer defended arresting his captain on the stand Tuesday in the drunken driving case against his boss, Captain Bernard Sullivan.Sullivan had been out celebrating his pending promotion as the new chief of police and admits to drinking five beers at a sports bar before driving. Sullivan was pulled over by Verrecchia after running a stoplight. Verrecchia says the strong scent of alcohol on Sullivan and the slurring of his speech are what prompted him to take Sullivan into custody. Sullivan had already been stopped by a Manasquan officer who let him continue on his way after being shown Sullivan?s badge. A Breathalyzer test showed Sullivan?s blood alcohol content between .19 and .20, more than double the legal limit.Sullivan?s lawyer claims that a personal lawsuit Verrecchia filed against Sullivan is the real reason for the arrest. Sullivan was put on paid leave after the arrest and returned to work in March.