Suspended sheriff’s officer ‘briefly’ assisted in NB armed robbery arrests

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Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer Alex Pino, who was suspended with pay in November for posting anti-Muslim remarks on Facebook, “briefly” assisted in the apprehension of armed robbery suspects in North Bergen earlier this week, Police Chief Robert Dowd said.

Facebook photo of Hudson County Sheriff's Officer Alex Pino.
Facebook photo of Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer Alex Pino.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

North Bergen police apprehended three at the scene of an armed robbery incident, as well as five guns and relatively small amounts of marijuana, near the vicinity of 1408 43rd Street on Tuesday.

A video, uploaded to YouTube by user Joe Lepore, of the incident shows a man in a white tank top, track pants and sneakers helping uniformed North Bergen police officers subdue a suspect who appears to be in handcuffs – beginning at the 28 second mark of the clip.

Dowd and Hudson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Juan P. Escobar confirmed to Hudson County View that the man in question is Pino, with Dowd commending the NBPD and stating that Pino lives in the neighborhood and was only involved “briefly.”

“Earlier this week, members of the North Bergen Police Department showed extraordinary valor and bravery in apprehending two suspects in an armed robbery on 43rd street mere minutes after the alleged crime,” Dowd said in a statement.

“The suspects were captured and subdued by NBPD Sergeants Ruiz and Cruz after a foot pursuit and they were supported by numerous officers from the department, as well as personnel from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division.”

“The responding officers briefly received additional assistance from Alex Pino, a resident who lives on the block who is employed as a Sheriff’s Officer. Mr. Pino did not have any formal role in the operation and simply responded as a private citizen in the way anyone wishing to protect their home and neighbors would.”

Dowd added that a warrant has been issued for another suspect.

Escobar further stated that Pino remains on administrative leave and “was not involved in any official capacity” in the 43rd Street armed robbery investigation.

“Officer Alex Pino remains on administrative leave as part of an ongoing internal investigation by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and was not involved in any official capacity in the arrest of the two men in North Bergen last Wednesday.”

At the time of Pino’s suspension, Schillari said the “Sheriff’s Office stands for professionalism and respect for our entire community above all else.


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11 COMMENTS

  1. Wow 4 months of suspension with pay sounds more like a vacation to me. I don’t understand this article.. Is this supposed to cancel out what he said about the muslim community and there holy places of worship?

    • But I guess you don’t want the other side to the story right ?? Just cuz hes,a cop right ? And apparently you can’t read. He states in his comments which by the way we’re a private message that this clown posted on his page for the world to see about Pino. Pino spoke about the TERRORISTS AND EXTREMISTS. NOT ALL MUSLIMS. BUT IF THEY ALL GOT OFFENDED THEN WE’LL YOU KNOW…..

  2. Officer Pino is being unfairly targeted! Hudson County picks and chooses who tgey go after, I have evidence to provide that other Officers do exactly the same thing as Officer Pino and face NO Charges! but they know someone or it does not fit their narrative! If anyone knows Officer Pino please have him contact me through this website.

  3. ITS IN HIS BLOOD TO PROTECT SERVE HE DOES NOT JUDGE YOU BY YOUR COLOR OF YOUR SKIN OR YOUR NATIONALITY .ENOUGH ALLREADY LET HIM BACK TO WORK .IF THIS WAS AGAINST ANY OTHER ETHIC GROUP WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION SO MR FRANK SCHILLARI PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND GIVE OFFICER PINO HIS JOB BACK GOOD GOING ON HELPING OUT YOUR BROTHERS YOUR A TRUE PATRIOT

  4. Nice plot twist. North Bergen had a terrific arrest, and some how we made the article about some guy who assisted for 2.3 seconds. I see we are all easily distracted….squirrel!!

  5. While I do not have a facebook account, I did hear of the comments that were allegedly made by Officer Alex Pino.

    If it is true that Officer Pino made those statements, they are extremely troubling to me as I find them to be offensive. You see I have many Muslim friends some of which live in Hudson County and they love this country as much as I do! They’re hard working, and great citizens. Therefore, to paint them with the same brush as those that would hurt our great nation, again is extremely offensive to me.

    However, as a Cuban American whose parents came to the greatest nation in the world for many reasons to include political freedom, I find it troubling and extremely anti-american that this officer should be suspended for executing his constitutional right under free speech.

    You see the Constitution does not say what you can and cannot say! All the United States Constitution says is you cannot make a statement that jeopardizes people and lives, or create harm, as a form of harassment, such such as making terroristic threats. However, again The United States Constitution does not say that your opinion and or comments are subject to scrutiny or censorship, no matter how troubling and or offensive the opinion and or comments happen to be to the rest of us.

    Now there are those legal scholars that would tell you that the police departments, have certain policies in place that direct and control an officer’s conduct. However while I am NOT a legal scholar, nor am I a lawyer I believe very strongly, the PBA and or the FOP should finally take these cases all the way of the Supreme Court, as a police officer is a human being and an American citizen. Thus as an American this police officer, has a right to be protected under the Constitution.

    Please remember this officer was not working as a police officer nor was it a police Blog, these were comments allegedly made on his facebook.

    Again I believe he like the rest of us in America have certain protections under the Constitution of the United States, especially with regard to free speech! No one including a police department’s policies should have the legal authority to overrule a person’s constitutional rights! Therefore I would suggest that the FOP in the PBA come to his defense as this is a violation of his civil rights under freedom of speech in the United States Constitution.

    Again, I would ask at the FOP and the PBA to come to his defense along with many other police officers, when their right to an opinion and free speech are being violated today by department policies. Policies that should not and cannot, but however are being allowed to trample on an Americans civil right to Free Speech.

    Having said this, let me say this again, I do not come to officer Pino’s defense because I agree with what he said, on the contrary! If he made those comments, I find them to be offensive and completely in contrast with my views! I come to his defense because in America we have many civil rights and one of our greatest rights is the freedom of free speech.

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