Crash investigation goes off the rails when police chief allegedly arrives to scene 'drunk,' sergeant slams him on car: Video

A vehicle crash investigation in New Jersey last fall led to a suspension for the local police chief and one of his officers, and now the prosecutor's office has completed its report on the matter.

On the evening of November 9, Sgt. William Major was attending to a suspected alcohol-related car crash in Bradley Beach, New Jersey, about 75 miles up the coast from Atlantic City. Major and other officers seemed to be going about their duties when Police Chief Leonard Guida suddenly arrived on the scene wearing street clothes. Whether he was on duty at the time is unclear.

In any case, Guida immediately took issue with Major's clothing, claiming that his police jacket was "not fit to be worn." "Get rid of it," Guida said, according to officer bodycam footage. "That’s ridiculous. You’re a sergeant for God’s sake."

The bodycam footage indicates that Major was frustrated by Guida's presence, but that frustration boiled over when Guida apparently grabbed Major's arm — or at least attempted to. In response, Major seized Guida by the torso and threw him on the hood of a police cruiser, the video showed. He later shoved him away as well.

"Don’t you touch me!" Major yelled.

"Chief, get out of here, or you’re gonna get locked up," Major continued. "Chief, you’re gonna get locked up. You’re grabbing me. I asked you three times to leave me alone. You’re obstructing my DWI. … You grabbed me. You were out of line. It’s on video. I’m not going to argue."

At one point, Major can be heard muttering, "Drunk again," in connection with Guida. Guida's speech and behavior on the video footage do suggest that he may have been under the influence.

Guida suspended Major on site and ordered him to return to police headquarters to discuss the issue further. Major refused, claiming he didn't have to if he truly was suspended.

Footage of the incident from Major's bodycam can be seen in the video below:

Major appears to have served a short suspension but has since returned to duty. Guida, on the other hand, was placed on paid leave shortly after the incident, and he remains there still. Reports say that as chief, Guida earns at least $174,000 and perhaps as much as $204,000 a year.

State guidelines require a county prosecutor's office to investigate all allegations leveled at police chiefs within its jurisdiction. On Wednesday, Bradley Beach Mayor Larry Fox confirmed that the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office had submitted its report on the incident to the borough for "review."

"We fully expect that the actions we have taken, and the additional actions pending in Bradley Beach, will collectively remedy this issue," a statement from the prosecutor's office read in part.

Fox explained that the borough will now consider the report and determine the proper consequences. Those consequences will be announced next week and will hopefully "bring closure" to the community, Fox said.

Major and Guida both declined to provide a comment to News 12. Star News also reached out to Captain James Arnold, who has helmed the department during Guida's absence. Arnold likewise declined to comment.

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