NEW BRUNSWICK - A Carteret teen testified Tuesday that Carteret Police Officer Joseph Reiman repeatedly beat him following a pursuit and crash in a car the youth had taken without his father’s permission.

Dressed in a blue shirt and grey pants, Monte Stewart, now 18, pointed to Reiman when asked by Assistant Prosecutor Christine D’Elia if he saw the man in court who beat him.

During cross examination by Charles Sciarra, Reiman’s attorney, Stewart insisted that Reiman beat him, even while handcuffed. But Sciarra also pointed out using a video of the crash that Reiman was trying to turn Stewart over to handcuff him.

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“Once I did roll over he still beat me,” Stewart said. “The only thing I did was cover my face sir.”

Reiman, the younger brother of Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman who is on trial before Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone, was indicted in September 2017 for allegedly assaulting and causing injury to Stewart, then 16, following a May 31, 2017 pursuit, crash and arrest. Reiman is accused of repeatedly hitting the teen after the boy exited the car.

Reiman has been charged with aggravated assault, official misconduct, failure to activate his body camera and failing to use reasonable discretion or restraint in the amount of force used to apprehend the teen. Reiman, who is suspended from the police force with pay, is also accused of including false information in his police report. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Stewart’s family has filed a civil lawsuit in the case. That case is still pending. Both Reiman and Stewart were joined by a large group of supporters during Tuesday's testimony.

During questioning by D’Elia, Stewart said that around midnight the day of the alleged incident, he took his father’s car without permission and drove to his girlfriend’s home in Carteret for an over the counter medicine for a headache. He was driving back home when a police car began following him.

Stewart, who at the time was on probation on a strong-arm robbery charge, indicated he was scared about being caught driving without a license while on probation and getting into trouble with his father, and he hit the accelerator instead of the brake before the car crashed into a guide wire and pole.

Stewart said Reiman rushed toward him and told him to get on the ground and started punching him. He said the punches lasted several minutes. He tried to use his hands to protect his face as Reiman struck him, he said.

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“He was punching on me and I didn’t know what I did,” Stewart said, adding he didn’t threaten the officers, go for their guns or have any drugs, alcohol or weapons in his possession.

He said another officer kicked him in the jaw.

A third officer picked him up off the ground and handcuffed him, he said.

He was taken to police headquarters where he was spitting blood from the cuts to his mouth from Reiman’s punches and was having trouble breathing, he said.

When his father arrived at headquarters, he saw his son had a bloody, swollen face; swollen lips and eyes and he was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, he said.

On cross examination by Sciarra, Stewart said he was dizzy after getting out of the car but said his head did not hit the windshield, which was found to be cracked in a photo presented as evidence to the jury. He also said the vehicle’s airbags deployed but he was able to avoid any impact with the airbags.

Sciarra questioned if Stewart turned the lights off on the car to avoid detection before the crash. Stewart said he did not. But the video showed the vehicle’s rear lights were not visible except when the brakes were applied.

“You were trying to get away. Why did you lie about that?” Sciarra asked.

“I didn’t lie. I stepped on the gas instead of the brakes,” Stewart said.

D'Elia noted the video shows there were just four seconds between the time Reiman activated his police car emergency lights and the time of the crash. Stewart said Reiman directed him to the ground before flipping him over and the punches began.

She asked Stewart if he felt comfortable giving his hands to be handcuffed after being punched. Stewart said he did not.

Russell Stewart, Monte's father, also testified Tuesday that he was shocked to see his son's swollen, bloody face at headquarters. He took photos of the injuries to his son's face and later cleaned it but found no glass from the windshield.

Russell Stewart said he filed an internal affairs report alleging excessive force at headquarters, after his son told him what happened.

Reiman is expected to testify in his own defense at a later point in the trial.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com