Paterson officer suspended after prisoner he was supposed to guard escapes from hospital

PATERSON — A prisoner in police custody escaped from St. Joseph’s University Medical Center on Sunday, and the Paterson police officer who was supposed to be guarding him has been suspended for 30 days.

The prisoner, 38-year-old Anthony Juliano of Dumont, was apprehended soon after his escape, law enforcement sources said.

Juliano, who was arrested April 17 on an active warrant, left through the hospital’s main entrance and took a taxi to the 4th Ward intersection of 12th Avenue and Straight Street, said the police bulletin about his escape.

City police have not released details about exactly where and when he was apprehended after his escape. Authorities have not disclosed why he was being treated at the hospital or any information about the warrant that resulted in his arrest.

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Isa Abbassi, the state-appointed officer in charge of the Paterson Police Department, issued an order Sunday suspending Police Officer Matthew McKoy for 30 days. He is the son of former Paterson Councilman William McKoy and has been a police officer since 2020.

Officials have not released details about the circumstances of the escape. The incident is being investigated by the Paterson Police Department’s internal affairs division, law enforcement sources said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson officer suspended after prisoner he was supposed to guard escapes from hospital