Millville Cop Charged with Causing a Suspect to Hit His Head on Concrete Floor

MILLVILLE — A city police officer is facing serious criminal charges after being accused of causing a suspect to hit his head on a concrete floor and then lying about this and other violent incidents.

Jeffrey Proffit, 37, will be prosecuted after a Cumberland County grand jury on Wednesday handed up the indictment on eight counts.

Prosecutors said Proffit has demonstrated a pattern of lying about excessive force over the course of at least two years.

Profitt — who also goes by Profitt and Profit on some government documents — has been a police officer since 2012 and earns a base salary of $46,841, records show.

Prosecutors said that after arresting a city resident on April 11 on a disorderly persons offense, Proffit used unlawful force on the 62-year-old man, causing him "serious and significant injuries."

He then lied to supervisors and tried to tamper with physical evidence, prosecutors said.

The grand jury charged Proffit with second-degree and third-degree aggravated assault, causing injuries "under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life."

He also was charged with second-degree official misconduct, second-degree pattern of official misconduct, two counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence, and fourth-degree obstructing administration of law.

If convicted of official misconduct, he could fave a minimum sentence of five years in prison.

It was not clear Saturday whether Proffit had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Proffit's alleged victim, Alphonzo Williams Sr., is well known to city police and often appears on police arrest blotters. Over the past several years, Millville police have arrested Williams on charges of disorderly conduct, simple assault, aggravated assault and weapons possession, and shoplifting pigs feet.