The now-suspended police chief of a town in New Jersey has claimed the mayor went on a "racist rant" that was allegedly caught on video .
Chief Phil Corbisiero of Spotswood is pushing for the release of police bodycam footage from two years ago which he claims shows Mayor Jackie Palmer speaking in a discriminatory way against people of color .
A judge could decide any day on whether to make the footage public, with Corbisiero insisting "this is the way she [Mayor Palmer] operates - she's a bully and she really doesn't care."
The former Police Chief spoke exclusively to NBC10 on the conduct of Mayor Palmer, who suspended Corbisiero with pay in March. The veteran cop was accused of everything from insubordination to misconduct.
Cobisiero's attorney maintains the charges are "contrived and manufactured and they're absolutely ridiculous." She went on: "First of all, she had no power to level them.
"Only the prosecutor's office can bring charges against chief of police and many of the charges are for things he's already been cleared of."
For Cobisiero's part, he says Mayor Palmer committed "unchecked and rampant wrongdoings" during his time in the role. This includes " vengeful and reprehensible behaviour " which Cobisiero has included in a legal complaint now filed against Spotswood. He said he's had no discipline in his 30 years as a police chief until the mayor took office.
Cobisiero said: "She said, "I'm the CEO of this $11 million company, if you don't like it, get the f*** out."
In April 2022, things escalated when the mayor allegedly summoned cops to her office , complaining about an African American man in the public area.
Cobisiero explained: "We went upstairs - there were were approximately eight of us, two of us wearing body-worn cameras - and she was so angry.
"She said, "if I call for the police , you'll get your f****** asses up here immediately. I don't care if Spotswood's on fire". She then said, "let's call it what it is, the elephant in the room - he's black. This isn't a diverse town .
"Everyone was in shock. I didn't just see it [the incident ] on the body cam video. I witnessed. It then continued, and she said, "what about if I go to the bathroom and I walk out the bathroom and I get shanked by this man?"
Cobisiero said he consulted with the prosecutor's' office , who said the man was not in violation of anything as he was in a public building , and was allowed to be there. Cops refused to remove the man from the building.
Cobisiero said: "The mayor then said, "listen to me, I'm the f****** mayor, I'm the boss, you'll f****** do as I say." The chief also alleges there were more comments made by the mayor that were not reported on video .
"That's when she made the statements like, "I don't need f****** BLM and the KKK fighting on my doorstep here in Spotswood, so you better f****** handle this mess."
Mayor Palmer has previously denied being a racist , and argued the video was unlawfully recorded footage of the meeting and should not be released. The mayor's attorney argued that "even if the video were redacted, selective clips could be improperly used to embarrass the mayor."
Cobisiero wants the video and all officer testimony out there, and is seeking to have all the charges against him dismissed and his suspension lifted. The borough attorney said they don't comment on pending litigation.
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