Palisades Park police officer arrested on multiple aggravated assault charges

PALISADES PARK — A police officer, who has been on administrative leave since last year and is currently suing the borough, was arrested by the Bergen County Prosecutor's office on multiple charges of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

David Chun, 42, of South Hackensack, was arrested after Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office ConfidentialInvestigations Unit received information regarding the alleged assault of an adult female andendangering the welfare of two children that occurred in the past.

The 18-counts of charges occurred between 2019 and 2023 and the investigation found that Chun allegedly threatened and assaulted a female on several occasions in Hasbrouck Heights and endangered the welfare of two children during those incidents.

Chun remains in Bergen County jail with no bail. His pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for July 26 before Judge Kevin Purvin.

Before the recent arrest, Chun was in an administrative position answering phones in borough hall outside of the police department.

Alan Genitempo of Piro Zinna Cifelli Paris & Genitempo law firm, Chun's attorney in his lawsuit against the borough and chief of police, said the charges for the alleged incidents that are more than a year old "shocked" him.

Chun was placed on administrative leave by the borough last August after he was charged with two counts of simple assault. Chun's lawsuit claims that the charges were dismissed this January and expunged on Jan. 31.

The latest charges include five counts of second-degree aggravated assault, one count of second-degree aggravated assault, one count of third-degree aggravated assault, one count of fourth-degree aggravated assault, seven counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, one count of third-degree terroristic threats, one count of third-degree terroristic threat and one count of criminal mischief, a disorderly person's offense.

Palisades Park's civilian police Director Michael Gardner said he could not comment on the arrest.

Details of why a Palisades Park police officer was arrested

The aggravated assault charges include pointing a firearm at the victim and strangulation leaving bruise marks around the victim's neck, a copy of the complaint warrant, which was obtained by NorthJersey.com.

The 17-page warrant lists details of several incidents from 2019 to the last occurring in April 2023.

During a July 2019 incident, it was reported Chun fired an assault rifle in the immediate presence of the victim after pointing the assault rifle at the victim.

In 2022 records show Chun ripped out a kitchen faucet and threw it at the victim while she was holding a child.

Police Officer Chun's lawsuit against Palisades Park, police chief

Chun filed a lawsuit in May against the borough and its police chief claiming he was retaliated against for a string of issues that began in 2018 involving his wife and her ex-husband, who is a Ridgefield police officer.

From 2018 to 2022, there were internal affairs complaints filed against Chun on four separate occasions, he was placed on administrative leave and fitness for duty evaluation twice and was tagged in racist Instagram posts, the lawsuit said.

"Palisades Park's failure to investigate [Chun's] concerns were all done in retaliation for [Chun] disclosing a domestic violence incident implicating his spouse's ex-husband, who works for Ridgefield Police Department and for making his own internal complaints," the lawsuit claims.

More: Former Palisades Park administrator files another suit against the borough. Here's why

Chun said the issues began in his department in 2018 when he reported a past incident of domestic violence involving his wife and her police officer ex-husband.

Weeks later, Chun received two internal affairs complaints made by Ridgefield police officers for terroristic threats and unusual behavior. The issues grew when officers in the Palisades Park police department, who Chun said were friends with his wife's ex-husband, also started to retaliate against him, the suit stated.

Chun filed a tort notice, a notice of intent to sue, in August 2022 and was put on administrative leave pending a psychological evaluation the same week.

Chun filed another tort notice in October 2022 and was again placed on administrative leave two days later and mandated to undergo another fitness for duty evaluation. "This intentional act caused extreme stress on plaintiff’s wife and their marriage while his wife was pregnant," the lawsuit said.

Chun returned to duty that November followed by having two internal affairs complaints filed against him and a promotion in rank canceled.

The lawsuit lists five counts including retaliation and discrimination, creation of a hostile work environment, and failure to promote based on ethnic and racial discrimination.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Palisades Park police officer arrested on multiple aggravated assault charges