A New Jersey man has filed a lawsuit against the City of Passaic and its police department, claiming officers placed him in an illegal chokehold and arrested him for allegedly spitting on a sidewalk.
Jesse Velez, 32, of Passaic, says in court papers six city police officers “started following and harassing him” as he walked down Third Street on May 30, 2024.
The officers allegedly targeted Velez due to his Peruvian heritage, alleges the suit, filed June 9 in Passaic County Superior Court…