The women said they were touched inappropriately while being patted down in the Woodbridge Center Mall parking lot
Three Elizabeth women who alleged Woodbridge police threw them to the ground in a mall parking lot and groped the trio while patting them down settled their false arrest lawsuit for $70,000.
Woodbridge police settled a false arrest lawsuit for $70,000. (Facebook) One of the women, Shaquila Ayler, also claimed an officer jumped on her car hood, pointed a gun in her face threatened to shoot her.
The news was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, which provides a partial list of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.
Ayler, Manirah Harris and Jasmine Gordon said they were pulled from Ayler's car and touched on their breasts, between their legs and on their buttocks while being searched outside the Woodbridge Center Mall on May 10, 2014.
Two mall security guards also took part, the suit says.
All three were with obstructing the administration of law and resisting arrest. Ayler was also charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The charges against the trio were dropped in 2015 after the officers involved failed to appear in court multiple times and no discovery evidence was provided to the defendants' attorney, the lawsuit states.
Ayler also said she lost her job because she was held for three days before being able to post $100,000 cash bail.
Court papers don't provide any additional details about the incident.
Both sides are prohibited from commenting as a result of a confidentiality clause in the settlement.
The suit was settled in April.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.