Fanwood police chief resigns amid controversy over alleged racist, sexist comments
NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey police chief has resigned amid controversy over alleged comments about an Asian-American former county prosecutor and New Jersey’s first Sikh attorney general.
The Union County prosecutor’s office announced that Fanwood Police Chief Richard Trigo notified the town’s mayor and council Friday night that he would resign effective Monday.
Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo said in a statement Monday that her office will temporarily oversee the department. Fanwood is about 10 miles southwest of Newark.
A recording surfaced online last week in which Trigo allegedly made derogatory comments about former Union County Prosecutor Grace Park and current state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
In the recording, several people are talking and one person is heard describing Grewal as “that (expletive) guy with the turban ... I want to pull him like a top," as well as referring to Park as “pretty hot” and adding, “she got wide ones.”
In an email Monday, an attorney representing Trigo disputed Ruotolo's version.
“Chief Trigo did not resign or quit,” Joshua McMahon wrote. “Any assertion to the contrary is categorically and demonstrably false. Chief Trigo had previously begun the process to retire on September 1, 2020 and, until that time, elected to take leave to handle a family-related health issue.”