A Suffolk police officer has been indicted for falsely claiming in a police report that a suspected car thief resisted arrest in an incident captured on body camera showing officers striking the suspect, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office confirmed Thursday.
Suffolk Police Officer Matthew Cameron pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of second-degree offering a false instrument for filing and was released without bail at his arraignment Thursday morning.
Cameron wrote the police report on the Feb. 23 incident in Port Jefferson that led to to the suspension of two police officers after body camera footage showed the officers striking suspect Christopher Cruz. Four other officers were placed on modified duty.
According to the indictment, which was issued by a special grand jury, Cameron “knowing that the statement contained a false statement or false information, the defendant presented this misdemeanor information with the knowledge or belief that it would be filed…This misdemeanor information was false in its failure to disclose accurately Christopher Cruz’s conduct at the time of Cruz’s arrest on Feb. 23 and 24 in a misdemeanor information charging Cruz with the crime of resisting arrest.”
Cameron’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
A police department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for information on Cameron’s current employment status with the police department.
A release from the district attorney’s office said: “While Cruz was standing up, held by the officer, P.O. Cameron moved behind Cruz, kicked Cruz in his right calf, and pushed him in the back. P.O. Cameron’s actions caused Cruz to pitch forward, breaking out of the other SCPD officer’s grasp.”
But Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini said while Cameron kicked Cruz, he was not indicted on any assault charges.
Cruz, 30, of Long Beach, pleaded guilty to petit larceny in September after acknowledging before Suffolk District Court Judge Richard Dunne that he had entered a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee parked on Oakland Ave. in Port Jefferson Station on Feb. 23 and drove off without the owner’s permission. Dunne sentenced Cruz to time served.
In June, the judge dropped second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest charges against Cruz, after prosecutors said they were “not sustainable charges.”
Noel DiGerolamo, president of the Suffolk, County Police Benevolent Association, said Thursday: “Given the circumstances of an ongoing investigation and charges, I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to speak regarding the filing of the false instrument. However, I’m happy to say the grand jury did not find any criminality with regard to his contact with Mr. Cruz.”
Cameron wrote in a police report memorializing the interaction with Cruz, that the man “resisted by flailing his arms aggressively, kicking his legs at officers and spitting toward officers.”
Cameron wrote that after Cruz was “taken to the ground,” he continued to resist but he was “subdued” and eventually taken into custody. Cameron wrote that even after Cruz was handcuffed he “continued to flail and attempt to resist and refused to comply with verbal commands.”
Cruz, who was taken to the department’s Sixth Precinct in Selden for processing, allegedly told officers there, according to Cameron: “I’m sorry that I fought and didn’t listen. I just didn’t want to get arrested. I hope I didn’t hurt anyone.”
Cruz’s attorney Frederick K. Brewington, in a notice of claim against the county, said Cruz raised his hands in surrender when approached by officers and during the encounter “was not in any way resisting against the officers.”
Brewington added: “At no time did Mr. Cruz assault any officers, resist any officers or fail to comply with the directions of officers.
Matthew Cameron is not related to Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron, a police department spokeswoman confirmed.
