Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
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.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
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.
Compensation and pension
No confident pension match found. This site links a pension record to a named officer only when the name and the exact employing agency both match a New Jersey Treasury record. Where that bar is not met, nothing is shown rather than a guess. See methodology for how these matches are made and what is withheld.
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. ↩