Trooper admits pursuing traffic stop of female driver in NJ

A state police trooper who disabled equipment in his cruiser to prevent it from recording video of an unlawful traffic stop of a female driver has pleaded guilty to tampering with public records. 

Michael Patterson entered his plea Monday. The 30-year-old Bayonne resident now faces up to a year in state prison without the possibility of parole and will forfeit his job. 

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Patterson stopped the woman’s vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike in January 2020 and eventually let her go with a warning.

He then unlawfully stopped her again a few minutes later after she had left the highway at Exit 11. 

Authorities said Patterson did that to make advances toward the woman.

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