Arraignment Held for Millville Race Soldier Charged with 24 Counts of Using Excessive Force, Aggravated Assault & 10 Counts of Falsifying Evidence, Public Records in Arrests of Black Suspects

From [HERE] and [MORE] A South Jersey police officer indicted on charges that he brutally assaulted several suspects, including throwing a 62-year-old man to the ground, entered a not-guilty plea during his arraignment Friday morning.

Millville officer Jeffrey E. Profitt, 39, is accused of using excessive force in five arrests described in the 24-count indictment issued last month. He's also accused of filing false reports about 10 arrests he made between 2013 and 2016.

Profitt was originally indicted last year on charges that he threw the 62-year-old  onto a concrete floor face-first during a 2016 arrest, causing injuries that required three hours of surgery. An EMT who witnessed the alleged incident described the man's face hitting the floor like "a pumpkin smashing."

The man required three hours of surgery to repair facial fractures. In the meantime, Profitt laundered his uniform to get rid of blood evidence, prosecutors allege.

Prosecutors claimed Profitt misled superior officers about the extent of the man's injuries, describing it as a mere nosebleed.

That previous eight-count indictment was expanded to add charges in other cases, including a 2015 arrest in which he allegedly threw a man face-first onto a stone driveway and another case in which he is accused of throwing a man face-first onto large landscaping rocks outside of a Millville restaurant.

Profitt, represented by defense attorney Anthony M. Imbesi, did not speak during the Friday hearing.

First Assistant Prosecutor Harold Shapiro outlined the charges against the officer, including multiple counts of official misconduct, aggravated assault, endangering another person, terroristic threats, tampering with physical evidence, tampering with records and obstructing the administration of law.

Prosecutors allege Profitt failed to file "truthful, accurate and complete" reports about the five arrests for which he is accused of using excessive force, and five other cases.

One of the alleged crimes resulted in a lawsuit.

Kenneth Harden sued last year, alleging that Profitt assaulted him during a traffic stop in 2015.

Harden claimed he tried to run from Profitt after the officer punched him several times, but stopped when Profitt drew his gun. Profitt then tried to force his gun into Harden's mouth before pistol-whipping the man, Harden alleged.

Profitt joined the Millville department in 2012 and is currently suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.

He remains free pending his next court appearance, which is Jan. 14, 2019.