A judge has ruled that a New Jersey police chief and one of his officers, who were recorded using racial slurs, can be fired.
Clark Police Chief Pedro Matos, Sgt. Joseph Teston and Capt. Vincent Concina was recorded in 2020 using racial epithets, including the N-word, to refer to Black people, and even calling a Black suspect an “animal” with a big “monkey head.”
Clark Township Mayor Sal Bonaccorso was also caught on audio recording calling Black people “n_ggers” and “spooks.” He also called female law enforcement officers “f—— disasters.” Bonaccorso was re-elected in 2024 but ultimately stepped down from his position and pleaded guilty to unrelated corruption charges. He remains on probation.
Lt. Antonio Manata, who secretly recorded their conversations, was paid $400,000 in hush money by Clark Township officials in exchange for his guarantee not to release the recordings. Despite that, NJ Advance Media was able to make the scandal public in March 2022 after obtaining the tapes and details of the payout…