A senior law enforcement official in New Jersey is now himself the subject of a criminal case. Francisco Roman Jr., the chief of detectives for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, is facing criminal charges. The fact that one of the county's top investigators has been charged makes the case an unusual and closely watched one.
The charges against him are specific and serious. Roman has been charged with two counts of assault by auto. The use of that charge points to a case in which a vehicle, rather than any other means, is at the center of the alleged harm done to other people.
The charges trace back to an incident earlier this year. Officials say the case stems from a crash that happened in March in Somerville. What might have been treated as an ordinary traffic collision has instead led to formal criminal charges against a public official.
The circumstances of that crash are central to the case. According to officials, the 54-year-old was driving a county vehicle at the time. While behind the wheel of that vehicle, he hit a parked car on South Bridge Street, turning a stationary vehicle into the point of impact.
The collision did not happen without consequences for others. Officials say that two people who were inside the parked car were injured in the crash. Their presence in the vehicle is what underpins the two separate counts that Roman now faces.
Investigators have also pointed to Roman's condition at the time. Officers say that Roman showed signs of impairment in connection with the crash. That assessment at the scene has become a key element in how the case has been built and charged.
Because of who is involved, the case has been handled carefully and at arm's length. The Morris County Prosecutor's Office is handling the matter, rather than Roman's own county office, avoiding any conflict of interest. In the meantime, Roman has been suspended without pay from his position as chief of detectives while the case proceeds.