NJ man gets $625K after cop repeatedly punched him in the head

⚠️ Clifton's insurer will pay $625,000 to settle an excessive-force lawsuit.

➡️ A Wanaque man said officers pepper-sprayed him and repeatedly punched him in 2018.

🔴 Police disputed key details but acknowledged force was used during the arrest.

CLIFTON — A New Jersey man will get six figures to settle a lawsuit that accused police officers of using excessive force, including repeated blows to the head.

Last month, the City of Clifton and Wanaque native Anthony Alfaiate reached the $625,000 settlement. Its insurer will pay the amount. The city also paid $188,000 in taxpayer funds to defend the lawsuit, reported TransparencyNJ's John Paff.

While Clifton settled, the city didn't admit to any wrongdoing. It's the end of a case that goes back more than eight years.

How a drunkenness call turned into a violent confrontation

Alfaiate was in his early 20s at the time of the chaos around 1 a.m. on Jan. 18, 2018 in a Clifton steakhouse parking lot. Police were called for a report of a dangerously intoxicated woman.

Alfaiate said he was with his friends, including the drunk woman who was 19 years old. As he was leaving, he saw her struggling to stand, and he tried to help her. But within minutes, Alfaiate was pepper-sprayed and repeatedly struck in the head with bare fists.

There was no dispute from Clifton Police Officer Todd Compesi about the level of force used against Alfaiate. During a deposition five years later, Compesi said he used those tactics to subdue an "extremely strong" drunk man who was resisting arrest.

READ MORE: Big Joe Henry inducted into New Jersey Hall of Fame

The parking lot of a Clifton steakhouse in 2018, before the restaurant closed. (Google Maps

Police and witnesses offered conflicting versions of events

But their accounts differ about most other details from the moment when Compesi arrived at the scene. Compesi said in his police report that when police officers arrived, Alfaiate ran over and physically got in between them and the woman. However, another police officer contradicted this story. Compesi's account was also disputed by an expert witness.

According to an expert witness who reviewed surveillance footage, Alfaiate and the woman were sitting next to each other; her head was on his shoulder while they were waiting for the police. The expert witness, who was former law enforcement, said that Compesi used excessive force on Alfaiate, who was getting into an Uber when he was pepper-sprayed.

Get our free mobile app

The situation quickly escalated. Blinded and in pain, Alfaiate began kicking from inside the Uber while officers tried to drag him out of the vehicle to arrest him. Alfaiate then ran a short distance before he was tackled to the ground. As he tried to get back up, two officers, including Compesi, tried to hold him down for an arrest.

The cops were able to handcuff Alfaiate after Compesi punched him in the head three times.

"That was the quote-unquote real estate that I had available. So that was the portion of his body that I was able to use physical force on and that's what I did," Compesi said during his deposition.

No body camera footage exists from the 2018 arrest

No video of the incident has been released publicly. The Clifton cops didn't have body-worn cameras because the department didn't issue them until late 2021, the city reportedly said.

New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to Clifton for comment.

After the dust settled that night, police charged Alfaiate with several third-degree offenses, including two counts of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and terroristic threats. He was also charged with obstruction. Those charges were later dismissed after Alfaiate paid a $125 fine and completed a six-month pretrial intervention program.

One week after the steakhouse parking lot incident, Compesi called into New Jersey 101.5 to speak with Bill Spadea. Compesi was credited with helping to save a 5-year-old girl whose heart stopped during an asthma attack.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom