William Howze

Synopsis as reported by the agency

From the OPIA Press Release: According to the investigation, XX was detained by officers from the Hamilton Township Police Department in Atlantic County shortly after 1 p.m. September 15, 2019, after police responded to a report of an individual trespassing at a residence. A homeowner called 911 and told dispatchers that a man, later identified as XX, allegedly entered his unlocked home and was behaving erratically, picking up a knife and claiming people had been shooting at him, which was untrue. The homeowner declined to press charges, but officers took victim into custody because of an outstanding child support warrant. The investigation found that while XX was handcuffed in a police vehicle, officers concluded he was exhibiting signs of narcotic use, paranoia and hallucinations, for which he needed a medical and mental health evaluation. XX himself stated that he had been throwing up and asked to go to the hospital. Hamilton Police policy dictates that, if an arrestee is sick or injured incidental to arrest or prior to arrest and needs medical attention, officers are responsible for taking the arrestee to a medical facility or requesting medical assistance at the scene. The Hamilton officers and their supervisors allegedly decided to take XX to the county jail instead of the hospital because it was a Sunday afternoon and the Hamilton police officers would have to sit and wait at a hospital while medical staff completed an evaluation. When they brought him to the jail, the Hamilton officers allegedly hid any information from the jail staff about XX physical and mental state, including the arrestee’s request to go to the hospital because he had been vomiting.