JCPD Narcotics cop Anthony Viola allegedly called the Woodbridge Police Department “bullshit,” asked a WPD officer if they were “union,” and told an apparent friend with active warrants to hide during an incident that started with police responding to a dog bite, according to a police report obtained by Real Jersey City.
They say a police officer is never off-duty, but on the night of March 11, 2018, it was a civilian dog that ended up taking a bite out of crime, figuratively speaking.
According to a police incident report obtained via an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request with Woodbridge Township, Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) narcotics officer Anthony Viola was allegedly intoxicated when he said “Woodbridge Police Department (WPD) is a bullshit department,” and that “Jersey City is a real department,” as an apparent friend of his was arrested for outstanding warrants.
The police report’s narrative, written by WPD Officer Mario Aochoa, details Aochoa and WPD Officer Nisky’s response to a dog bite incident at a Woodbridge residence in which all of the occupants were supposedly intoxicated.
Among the occupants was Viola and a man named John Korkowski, who was identified as the owner of the dog – a tan 8-year-old boxer named Tucker – that “suddenly bit” a female occupant on the face. Per the report, Korkowski “quickly ran into a separate room inside the residence and locked himself inside” when the officers first responded.
As noted in the report, Aochoa claimed to know Korokowski, and claimed to also know that he had active warrants.
When officers initially responded to the residence, Viola, who identified himself as a JCPD officer, and another woman described as an involved party, “Jessica,” tried to handle the situation, but Jessica couldn’t provide “pertinent information” about the dog to the officers. With Tucker contained in a separate room, Aochoa told Jessica that he needed to speak with the dog’s owner, Korkowski, in order to complete the incident report.
After that request, Jessica entered the room Korkowski was in, and then both failed to acknowledge Aochoa when asked to exit the room, per the report. At that time, Aochoa advised Viola to speak with the dog’s owner, and Viola was able to successfully lead Korkowski out of the room.
Furthermore, Aochoa specifically noted that, before speaking with Korkowski, Viola approached him and stated “listen, I know he has warrants. He was just in Rahway yesterday and they should all be taken care of.”
Following the alleged comment, Aochoa had Korkowski exit the residence to answer questions about the dog. Specifically, as stated in the report, Korkowski was unable to provide a Woodbridge Health Department license for the dog, and was unsure of the dog’s required vaccination shots and if they were up to date.
The victim, identified as a woman named “Alexandra,” was treated by Woodbridge EMS and transported to Raritan Bay Medical Center for further treatment, according to the report.
The report goes on to state that, while on scene, Viola confronted both officers “several times regarding how this incident should be handled,” asked Aochoa if he was “union,” and allegedly stated “you have no reason to run [warrants on Korkowski], there was no crime committed. I guess this is how you guys do things in Woodbridge.”
Additionally, Viola allegedly told Korkowski “don’t worry, let them put handcuffs on you, then you can sue their department.”
According to the report, Korkowski had five active warrants at the time – one from Woodbridge, three from Rahway, and one from New Brunswick – and was placed under arrest after officers were able to confirm with dispatch.
Following Korkowski being placed under arrest, Viola and Jessica supposedly made several comments stating that Aochoa had a “personal vendetta” against Korkowski. Viola went on to allegedly state that “we don’t ever do this in narcotics in Jersey City,” and that “Woodbridge Police Department is a bullshit department,” while “Jersey City is a real department.”
Viola allegedly goes on to say that “he would be staying in the area to wait for Mr. Korkowski to call him,” and would also be tending to Alexandra, per the report.
In the report’s conclusion, Aochoa claims Korkowski, while being transported to police headquarters, stated that he told Viola he had active warrants, and it was Viola who told him to hide when police arrived. Korkowski was unable to arrange for bail, and was subsequently transported to the Middlesex County jail.
Of note, according to sources, Viola is apparently the nephew of JCPD Det. Donna Viola-Disbrow – who is the wife of Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association (JCPOBA) Vice President Vincent Disbrow, and sister-in-law of JCPOBA President Carmine Disbrow. By allegedly asking the WPD officer if they were “union,” it’s believed Viola was attempting to use his police union connections to influence the situation.
Also of note, according to Viola’s LinkedIn account, the narcotics cop has experience dealing with a wide range of gangs, and even worked one case involving 25 pounds of marijuana. According to Jersey City payroll records, Viola was hired on July 15, 2013.
A spokesperson for the JCPOBA declined to respond to an email seeking comment on the WPD report, especially regarding how Viola allegedly represented the JCPD, and if the union leadership can speak on whether any disciplinary action has been taken or not.
A spokesperson for the Fulop Administration ignored an email seeking comment on the WPD report and whether Viola faced any disciplinary action due to the incident.
Of note, according to sources, both Chief Michael Kelly and Deputy Chief Mark Miller, who is the commander of Internal Affairs, have worked to cover up the incident due to their close relationships with Det. Viola-Disbrow.
When reached by phone around mid-October 2018, Miller completely denied “any implications spreading throughout the department,” said the matter was an open investigation, and decisions would be made after it’s closed.
According to one source, Viola is now back from a “leave of absence” that was rumored to have been taken due to the incident. This article will be updated if and when the JCPOBA or Fulop Administration choose to provide a comment.
Finally, it should be noted that the OPRA request filed with Woodbridge did not cover the date of the incident, yet responsive records were provided. Specifically, the OPRA was seeking any reports involving Viola from 7-1-18 to 11-6-18, but the incident occurred on 3-11-18.
Regardless, it’s clear that on March 11, 2018, it was a dog’s bite, not a JCPD officer, that ended up taking a bite out of crime in Woodbridge, NJ.