The man alleged he was struck in the face with a flashlight when police showed up at TGI Friday's to investigate a report of a man with a knife
WOODBRIDGE -- Woodbridge has agreed to pay $125,000 to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by a man who alleged police officers smashed him in the face with a flashlight at a restaurant and broke his teeth.
Jeffrey Gutierrez, of Woodbridge, alleged that he was falsely accused of having a knife at the TGI Friday's restaurant on Gill Lane in December 2001 and attacked by police for no reason, according to the lawsuit.
Government watchdog and open records advocate John Paff first reported the settlement on his website njcivilsettlements.blogspot.com. The settlement says that the township's payment of the settlement "does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing or fault."
Police were responding to the Friday's for a report of a person with a knife, according to court documents.
Gutierrez said in the suit that an officer grabbed him by his right arm and "removed him from the bar area, and began questioning him as if he was the one with the knife."
He told police he was not the one with the knife, but allowed them to search him. No knife was found, he alleged in the lawsuit.
Gutierrez further alleged that police pushed him to the ground and assaulted him, causing him to lose "half of several of his upper teeth after being smashed in the face with a flashlight," he claimed in court documents.
Gutierrez was ultimately arrested and taken to the Woodbridge Police Headquarters, where he was later released.
The township could not be immediately reached for comment.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.