The three Union City police officers who were charged in North Bergen early this morning have been identified as Police Officers Jonathan Rivera and Damien DeFazio and Special Officer Gabriel Semeraro, authorities said this afternoon.

DeFazio, 30, Rivera, 26 and Semeraro, 22, have been charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said. Damien DeFazio is not related to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio, authorities said.

A source with knowledge of the incident said that officers approached a woman, who was with a man, and one of the officers forced her into a car. They have not been charged with kidnapping.

Union City officials did not release any information on the officers, but public records show that Rivera has been on the force since 2006 and earned $79,298 last year, DeFazio has been on the force since 2005 and earned $86,728 in 2010 and Semeraro began working in Union City in 2009 and earned $21,440 last year.

The three officers posted bail before they were scheduled to appear in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City this afternoon. Their appearances have been rescheduled for Oct. 27. The amount of bail could not immediately be determined.

The arrest arose from an off-duty incident at approximately 2:45 a.m. at 83rd Street and West Side Avenue in North Bergen during which one of the defendants allegedly threatened the victim with a handgun.

The defendants were arrested following a motor vehicle stop in which three handguns were recovered.

No other charges are expected to be filed, authorities said.

Union City Police Chief Charles Everett declined to comment. A spokesman for Mayor Brian Stack said the three officers have been suspended without pay.

Jersey Journal Staff Writer Michaelangelo Conte contributed to this report.

