The officers face a slew of charges each:
- Lt. Leith Ludwig has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of official misconduct.
- MD Khan has been charged with 13 counts, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, official misconduct and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
- Officer Eric Kosinski has been charged with five counts, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and official misconduct.
- Officer Francisco Rodriguez has been charged with four counts, including aggravated assault, official misconduct and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
During the pursuit, Pinkston, 48, tried to drive between two lanes of traffic and hit several cars. Officers fired multiple shots at his car, prosecutors said.
Pinkston crashed into another car then collided with a utility pole on Tonnelle Avenue, sparking a fire and hurting the other driver.
That's when the second driver, on fire, crawled away from the wreckage -- and was kicked by the officers, cellphone video shows.
At the time, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop called for the officers' termination.
On Thursday, Fulop released this statement:
"As we stated at the outset, the actions taken that night required serious investigation. We took immediate and appropriate action and will now abide the judicial process. Our internal investigation will now begin into all the actions or inactions of department members that night. We want the community to continue to have full confidence in the Jersey City Police Department and its officers."Pinkston, the driver who police were chasing, was indicted on Aug. 23.
He faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault while eluding and aggravated assault by auto, prosecutors said. He's expected to be in court again on Dec. 11.
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Four Jersey City police officers have been indicted on charges ranging from aggravated assault to attempted murder, prosecutors said Thursday, months after shocking video emerged showing them kicking and dragging a flaming bystander following a car chase and fiery crash.
Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said that a grand jury had returned an indictment against Lt. Keith Ludwig, MD Khan and officers Eric Kosinski and Francisco Rodriguez in the case of the June 4 beatdown.
All are charged with aggravated assault and official misconduct. All but Ludwig are accused of possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and Kosinski and Khan face charges of attempted murder.
Officers had been trying to stop a vehicle near Ocean and Cator avenues in Jersey City late that night; the driver, Leo Pinkston, fled and the cops gave chase. Pinkston was involved in a number of crashes during the pursuit, and multiple shots were fired. Eventually, he crashed into a vehicle on Tonnelle Avenue, leading to a collision with a utility pole that sparked a major fire and injured the driver of the other vehicle, bystander Miguel Feliz.
When Feliz got out of his car, the four Jersey City officers descended on him, kicking and dragging him in apparent belief he was the man they had been chasing. The June 4 video showed Miguel Feliz, on fire, exiting his car before being kicked by the officers. Feliz was hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns and broken ribs after the encounter, his family said.
The four officers were suspended in late June, then had their jobs reinstated, though they were on administrative duty, not active patrol. Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill told NorthJersey.com at the time that federal investigators had asked the department not to bring departmental charges against the men pending a federal investigation.
Attorney information for the officers wasn't immediately available. Previously, a union representative had said they were trying to put the flames out and pull Feliz to safety. At the time, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the video appeared to contradict that claim and demanded he be fired.
Pinkston also faces a number of charges in connection with the pursuit.