An elected official in New Jersey yelled at a local police officer and even called the officer’s boss during a routine traffic stop earlier this month.
Paulsboro Councilman Theodore D. Holloway II allegedly ran a stop sign on Jan. 4 in the borough, which is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, according to a public records request from NJ.com that obtained police body camera footage from the incident.
Holloway, who was dressed in a knit cap and camouflage jacket, was seen in the footage cursing at the officer from the driver’s seat of his van and repeatedly making reference to his political office.
He was visibly frustrated when the officer approached him.
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“You can’t be serious. I want to know what exactly are you getting behind me for?” Holloway inquired, denying that he had run a stop sign and noting that he was close to his home.
Holloway then threatened to discuss the traffic stop with the police chief.
“Don’t think I ain’t going to talk to Gary about this,” he said, referring to the chief.
When the policeman shrugged off the threat, Holloway shouted, “I’m the one that hired you!”
Should Theodore D. Holloway II be voted out of office at the next opportunity?
Yes: 99% (111 Votes)
No: 1% (1 Votes)
“You actually pulled over an elected official,” Holloway continued, even making an attempt to call the police chief from his cell phone during the traffic stop.
“You’re not pulling over a random. You’re pulling over your boss. I am literally your boss.”
Holloway, who has served on the Paulsboro council since 2014, again referred to his elected office when the police officer’s supervisor arrived at the scene.
“You know who I am, right?” Holloway asked.
Paulsboro Mayor John Giovannitti said in comments to NJ.com that government officials for the community had been briefed on the matter.
He added that Holloway was spoken to following the incident.
“We’ve spoken to him with our legal team and went over the issues that we had, and I just think it was an unfortunate incident that shouldn’t have happened,” Giovannitti said.
“It’s never happened in the past and it can’t happen again.”
The official acknowledged that “it’s not the response that an elected official should share with our police,” but characterized Holloway as a dedicated member of the borough council.
Holloway was issued a citation for “driving or parking [an] unregistered motor vehicle,” according to NJ.com.
The officer said he would not receive a ticket for allegedly running through the stop sign.
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