ALong Branch patrolman was one of two men charged in the alleged assault of a man outside a Neptune Township nightclub on Jan. 31.
Patrick Joyce, 26, of Long Branch, was arrested by detectives from the Neptune Township Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Feb. 22 and charged with one count of second degree aggravated assault in connection with the alleged assault, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Joyce has been employed as a patrolman by the Long Branch Police Department for five years. He was off duty at the time of the alleged assault. Upon the filing of the criminal charge against him, Joyce was suspended by the Long Branch Police Department without pay.A
second man, Richard Covert, 25, of Long Branch, has also been charged with second-degree aggravated assault in connection with the alleged incident. By the end of last week, Covert had not yet been apprehended, and law enforcement authorities believe that he is out of state, a press release from the Prosecutor’s Office states.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Neptune Township Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office with the assistance of the Long Branch Police Department following an incident which occurred at approximately 2 a.m. Jan. 31 outside the Headliner, a nightclub located on Route 35S in Neptune Township.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation revealed that as a 33- year-old Neptune Township man and his wife were leaving the club, Joyce followed them outside. When the man asked Joyce why he was following them, Joyce pointed to the man’s wife and indicated that he was trying to talk to her. The man advised Joyce that she was his wife and that he did not want Joyce to speak with her, the press release states. Words were then exchanged, after which Joyce allegedly punched the man in the face.
A second man, later identified as Covert, and a third man who has not yet been positively identified, exited a nearby auto and approached Joyce, the man and his wife, the release states.
All three men allegedly assaulted the man, who fell to the ground. The three men allegedly continued to assault him by
kicking him while the man’s wife and her sister attempted to cover the man with their bodies in an attempt to protect him, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
The assault victim went to Jersey Shore University Medical Center later on Jan. 31 where he was diagnosed
with a fractured jaw that required
surgery to insert a titanium plate into the lower jaw.
If convicted of second-degree aggravated assault, the maximum potential custodial sentence is a state prison term of up to 10 years. Second-degree aggravated assault is subject to the No Early Release Act, which means that if convicted of that crime, the men would be required to serve 85 percent of any custodial sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole.
Following Joyce’s arrest, Neptune Township Municipal Court Judge Robin Wernik set bail for Joyce at $25,000 with the 10 percent option. Joyce posted bail Feb. 22 and was released. Covert’s bail will not be set until he has been apprehended.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and State law.
The investigation into the alleged assault is continuing. Individuals possessing information regarding the incident are encouraged to contact Detective Susan Michling of the Prosecutor’s Office at 1- 800-533-7443 and/or Detective Eugene Stewart of the Neptune Township Police Department at 732-988-8000.