NJ teen beaten by cops emotional as judge weighs whether to release him from jail

The New Jersey teenager, Cyprian Luke, 19, whose arrest and subsequent beating by Dover police gained widespread attention over the weekend, was visibly distressed in court on Thursday as the judge considered his release from county jail.

Since his arrest, which was marked by significant violence, Luke has remained in custody, sparking a protest outside the Dover Police Headquarters. Elizabeth Cervenak, representing the Morris County public defender’s office, made a plea for Luke's release.

"I urge the court to release Mr. Luke," Cervenak stated.

Cell phone footage captured by witnesses shows Luke being repeatedly struck by Dover police officers while they shouted at him to cease resisting. Luke was apprehended for allegedly breaching a court order that prohibited him from contacting his girlfriend and the mother of his child. He faces charges related to two separate incidents of domestic violence, in which he is accused of choking the victim. However, Cervenak argued that the victim had since retracted some of her allegations.

“The alleged victim contacted us,” Cervenak revealed. “She clarified that Mr. Luke did not, at any point, place his hands around her neck.”

During the court session, Luke’s girlfriend, identified as 'S.H.' in the complaints, was overcome with emotion and had a visible outburst as the judge reviewed the evidence.

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“The 911 call does not mention Mr. Luke choking S.H.,” Morris County Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor noted.

“That’s not true!” S.H. shouted in response. Judge Taylor maintained his focus on the case, stating, “I do not consider comments from the gallery in my decision-making process.”

Cervenak proposed that Luke be placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, but there was uncertainty about the location of his confinement. While Luke’s mother, a resident of Morristown, was present, defense attorneys recommended that Luke be placed in the care of an aunt in Mine Hill.

The judge and prosecutors required additional information about the aunt's residence before making a decision, leading to a postponement of the ruling until Friday at 11 a.m.

Upon learning he would spend another night in jail, Luke was visibly upset. As he left the courtroom, his girlfriend expressed her love for him, but he responded with, “I don’t love you, bitch.”

Meanwhile, the officers involved in Luke’s arrest have been placed on paid leave as an investigation into the alleged police brutality continues. The incident has continued to fuel outrage in Dover, with Black Lives Matter activists holding a march to the police station, demanding justice for Cyprian Luke.

Kisha Pinnock of Black Lives Matter criticized the actions of the police, calling it “police brutality.” Luke’s mother, Mary Luke, expressed her concern about the broader issue of police brutality, stating, “This is a widespread issue that’s often not reported. Thankfully, we had a recorder to capture it.”