EAST ORANGE, N.J. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A former New Jersey police officer was convicted after his son, who had been hospitalized for weeks, disclosed to medical staff that his injuries were caused by his father, who would hit him at home, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Devin L. Higgs, 53, a former East Orange police officer, was convicted of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child for physically abusing his then 9-year-old son, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Higgs, of West Orange, brought his then 9-year-old son to the hospital on Feb. 15, 2018, for injuries that Higgs said happened when his son fell.
After an examination, doctors found that the 9-year-old had 22 fractures on his ribs and a fractured scapula bone, among other injuries, according to prosecutors.
The child also had bruises, scars, and marks on his body, which according to the indictment were indicative of child abuse. Higgs and his son didn’t explain the cause of his injuries but rather responded vaguely that he had fallen.