Officer Michael Rathjen was suspended for 55 days by the Burlington County Department of Corrections in 2023 on a sustained charge of excessive force. The agency reported that Rathjen engaged in a physical confrontation with an inmate in the booking department and, while attempting to restrain the combative inmate to the ground, used unauthorized physical force when he threw two punches that struck the inmate in the head and face area. The agency also listed training, coaching, or counseling among the sanctions.
Officer became engaged in a physical confrontation with an Inmate in the booking department. When the Officer attempted to restrain the combative inmate to the ground, he used unauthorized physical force when he threw two punches striking to the inmate directly in the head and face area.
Similar records
AnalysisComputed by this site from shared agency, year, charge category, and sanction outcome. Not a legal or factual equivalence.
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Questions and answers
What is a summary of Michael Rathjen's major discipline record?
Officer Michael Rathjen was suspended for 55 days by the Burlington County Department of Corrections in 2023 on a sustained charge of excessive force. The agency reported that Rathjen engaged in a physical confrontation with an inmate in the booking department and, while attempting to restrain the combative inmate to the ground, used unauthorized physical force when he threw two punches that struck the inmate in the head and face area. The agency also listed training, coaching, or counseling among the sanctions.
What is Michael Rathjen's major discipline record at Burlington County Corrections?
Michael Rathjen has one major discipline record at Burlington County Corrections in the New Jersey Attorney General's 2020-2025 releases, from 2023. These are final, adjudicated actions, not allegations.
Sources
[1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 1525. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03. ↩