Department learned of photo of napping cop after it was shared on social media.
A Belleville officer has been suspended after being photographed asleep in his squad car, authorities said.The Belleville resident who took the photo told Patch they spotted the officer, identified as Jesse McKeough, sleeping in a Stop & Shop parking lot around 2 a.m. earlier in September. Belleville Police Chief Joe Rotonda said the photo came to the department’s attention after it was posted on Facebook. While no formal complaints were filed with the department, Rotunda said McKeough, who graduated from the Essex County Police Academy in March, was suspended in connection with the photograph.
“Obviously, we weren’t happy about it,” Rotonda said.
Rotunda said the officer was working a part time job during the time he was photographed sleeping. He said his department was “proactive” when it learned of the photo.
“Whether you're working for the township as a police officer or in a part time capacity, we wont tolerate such behavior,” Rotunda said. “And we dealt with it.”
