A video has been released of two Bergen County plainclothes police officers who were involved in a confrontation with a New Jersey trooper this spring.
A state police report of the May 31 encounter on the New Jersey Turnpike in Leonia states that the trooper observed a Officer Robert Duboue conducting a traffic stop, accoriding to The Star-Ledger.
The trooper was cautious due to a recent rash of carjacking in which suspects impersonated police and pulled over with his handgun drawn.
Dubuoue identified himself as a Bergen County officer at the trooper's request, but the conversation quickly turned ugly.
Bergen County Police Chief Brian Higgins told the newspaper that he found no fault with any of the parties involved.
"It appears that the Trooper was doing his job in stopping and investigating the motor vehicle stop and the Bergen County Police Officer conducted a motor vehicle stop for a violation of the traffic laws," he said.
State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes also issued a statement of support for the trooper.
"He came upon a stop by two plainclothed officers driving an unmarked minivan on the Turnpike," he said. "In the two weeks prior to this incident, two separate vehicles on the Turnpike were carjacked by armed men impersonating police officers. The criminals were wearing police-type clothing and ballistic vests.
"Aware of these incidents, and with no advance notice of the operation, our trooper was fully justified in approaching this stop with the utmost caution."
