TRENTON — Trenton's Officer of the Year is under investigation after he allegedly criticized a police department internal affairs unit investigation of a fellow officer during his award acceptance speech Saturday night, officials said yesterday.

Sgt. Jason Astbury, who also recently received the department’s highest honor, the Commendation for Valor, made the remarks during the dinner hosted by the Policemen’s Benevolent Association and the Kiwanis Club, which was attended by nearly 300 people.

He is under investigation but has not been suspended, police spokesman Sgt. Pedro Medina said.

“There are regulations that you cannot make derogatory comments concerning an IA investigation,” Medina said.

Medina said he did not know what specific charges Astbury could face.

During his speech Astbury mentioned the case of Officer Mylon Kelsey, who was charged with aggravated assault after a bar fight in January.

Astbury briefly criticized the IA investigation which led to Kelsey’s arrest, saying the officer had been “railroaded” and would eventually be vindicated, according to two law enforcement sources who were present in the room.

Astbury, an 11-year veteran of the force who is assigned to the Trenton Anti-Crime (TAC) unit, could face punishment for his actions.

“With any improprieties of any of our officers, they are entitled to due process through IA,” Medina said.

PBA Local 11 president George Dzurkoc said he would reserve comment until the investigation is complete.

Messages left at Astbury’s home and with his attorney Stuart Alterman were not returned as of press time yesterday.

City Council President George Muschal, a former police officer who did not attend the event, said he would need more information to decide whether an IA investigation was warranted, but did not think Astbury’s comments were appropriate.

“I would have never said that,” Muschal said. “That’s me. There’s a place to do this and it’s not there.”

Earlier this year, a case against an accused drug dealer was thrown out after a Superior Court judge ruled that accounts from Astbury and another officer were not credible.

Acting Police Director Joseph Juniak said yesterday that the IA probe was unrelated to the court decision but declined further comment.

The George P. Hresko Police Officer of the Year Award is given out annually by a vote of the department’s officers. It honors an outstanding officer who shows his dedication to the department and to others in his work, Dzurkoc said.

The awardee, Dzurkoc said, is “the kind of guy who goes into work, who does a good job, who gives 110 percent every day, who other guys can come to talk to if they need help with something.”

This year’s 38th annual dinner was combined with the PBA Ball due to financial concerns and held at the Stone Terrace by John Henry’s in Hamilton Township.

Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.

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