TRENTON – A fired Millville police officer remains out of a job after New Jersey Superior Court judges reviewing his case agreed with an administrative law judge that there is overwhelming evidence that Edmund Ansara is unfit to wear a badge.

The rebuffed appeal is the second in less than two years for Ansara, who joined the police force in March 2005. The Millville City Commission voted to fire him in 2016 over his conduct in two unrelated on-duty incidents in 2014.

A N.J. Office of Administrative Law judge, in a strongly worded November 2016 decision, affirmed Ansara’s firing was appropriate. The Civil Service Commission finalized that decision on Dec. 21, 2016.

Ansara then appealed that ruling to the Superior Court Appellate Division, where a three-judge panel heard arguments this April. The panel’s decision was issued on Friday.

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“The record developed before the ALJ (administrative law judge) is replete with competent evidence of appellant’s unfitness to be a police officer,” the August 31 decision states. “Appellant’s conduct in both incidents reflects a disregard for the rule of law coupled with a disturbing pattern of abusive behavior in the exercise of his authority.”

The opinion adds: “The arguments attacking the validity of the Commission’s decision lack sufficient merit to warrant discussion in a written opinion.”

Ansara was represented by Mount Laurel attorney Michael J. Confusione. He could not be contacted Monday for comment.

In his Superior Court appeal, Ansara argued that the administrative law judge’s decision was not based on “substantial credible evidence” and that the city did not show “good cause” to fire him.

The first incident that led to Ansara’s firing was on Sept. 22, 2014. It involved a response to an alleged domestic violence situation. Ansara was dispatched along with Officer Catherine Shipley.

In that case, Ansara ended up forcing a man to the ground, handcuffing him, and charging him with a disorderly person offense. The other officer reported Ansara’s conduct to her superior, saying that in her opinion the suspect was never a threat and that he should not have been arrested.

The new decision notes that an Internal Affairs report described Ansara’s account of what happened as “not factual.” An IA investigator filed a complaint against Ansara for excessive use of force and false arrest.

The second incident was on Oct. 11, 2014. Ansara allowed a man to break into a house to recover personal belongings — over the objections of the woman living there. Ansara also ended up arresting the woman.

The opinion states that the man Ansara helped, who is identified only as R.W, was the nephew of a civilian police dispatcher, C.W., who also was present for the entire incident.

“Despite the obvious civil character of this dispute, appellant (Ansara) stood by while R.W. ‘made entry by breaking a glass part of the back door and unlocked the dead bolt,’” the new opinion states.

The woman filed an Internal Affairs complaint against Ansara. The department’s Internal Affairs office, “concerned about a possible pattern’ involving Fourth Amendment violations,” referred the matter to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office.

In firing Ansara, the city listed its reasons as: Incompetency, inefficiency, failure to perform duties, conduct unbecoming, neglect of duty, and “other sufficient cause.”

Vineland attorney Stephen D. Barse represented the city of Millville.

The judges authoring the 10-page ruling were Jose Fuentes, Ellen Koblitz and Thomas Manahan.

Joseph P. Smith; jpsmith_dj; (856) 563-5252; jsmith@gannettnj.com

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