AndrewBlakeJersey City, NJ – A Jersey City police sergeant who struck a fleeing man with his patrol SUV in August was charged Jan. 12 with fourth-degree assault by auto, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.
Sgt. John Ransom was arrested Jan. 12 and charged with assault by auto causing serious bodily harm, according to The Jersey Journal.
“Officers who abuse their power and break the law will be held accountable for their actions,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. “The office of the Hudson County prosecutor will continue to vigorously investigate and root out police misconduct and wrongdoing.”
The incident started when police stated they watched Shiron Cooper participate in a drug transaction and they began following him at about 6:45 p.m., according to the police report.
The Jersey Journal reported that grainy 10-second long video footage from a security camera showed a vehicle running into Cooper, who was facing the car.
Sgt. Ransom stopped the car momentarily for about one second, and Cooper turned around and ran in the opposite direction. The police vehicle then accelerated toward Cooper and stopped again and Cooper could no longer be seen in the video.
Cooper told The Jersey Journal he ran from the police because he didn’t know they were the police. He was hit twice by the car said he felt the tires run over him.
He says that he was unconscious for an undetermined amount of time.
The officer said in a report that Cooper “jumped into” the front of Sgt. Ransom’s SUV.
Cooper suffered abrasions, contusions and lacerations to his torso and head and had a fractured face, according to Suarez.
Police began the investigation into the incident in September.
Cooper told the Jersey Journal he feels lucky to be alive.
“He came out of nowhere and just hit me,” Cooper told The Jersey Journal. “It came over me, the whole car … it’s crazy.”
Cooper pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled dangerous substance and was sentenced to two years of probation.
Sgt. Ransom is due in court Feb 2.