Retired New Jersey police officer and teen who faced off in viral video meet again

The two individuals involved in a heated altercation that went viral last month have met again. The result of their meeting was revealed in photos now circulating the news.

Following their heated argument which went viral last month, a New Jersey police officer and teen who faced off in that video recently met again to settle matters.

In August, a retired captain from the Passaic County Sherriff’s Department got into a heated altercation with a teenager who had fallen off his bike along the street. Their argument was caught on video which began when the retired captain approached the teenager and told him “Don’t be a punk” before identifying himself as a police captain and flashing his badge in the boy’s face.

The two had a heated exchange in close proximity until a woman approached them and pulled the policeman away. A uniformed law enforcement officer watching the encounter then intervened and requested the teenager and his friends to leave after the captain leaves.

It’s unclear what prompted the irate policeman to approach the young man but according to a resident who witnessed what was going on, the teen and his friends were biking in Fair Lawn when one of them fell off the bike. Then an identified woman approached them and told them to disperse or she would call the police. The teenagers exchanged words with the woman who later went up to her nearby apartment and returned with the retired captain.

Now a month later, Eyewitness News reports the retired captain and teenager have met again in New Jersey and buried the hatchet. Photos showed by the news publication reveal the two shaking hands. No charges were filed according to the report.

While this case ended on a good note, a similar situation last year lead to gunfire, protests and outrage.

In February 2017, an off-duty police officer confronted a group of teens who were walking along his neighborhood yard on their way home from school. The officer held one of them, a 13-year-old boy by the collar and tried to detain him. The situation escalated as a teen rushed to the officer who tumbled over. At this point, the officer pulled out his gun and fired a shot aimed at the ground. The incident caught on video went viral and prompted protesters to march in the streets condemning the shooting. 23 people were arrested after the officer’s home was vandalized. The officer was eventually removed from the field.

Meanwhile, a union representing the officer defended him saying he was attacked by multiple individuals with the officer sustaining injuries. The officer only responded with his gun when the 13-year-old made a threat that led the officer to believe the boy was going to shoot him.

Those weighing in on the incident believe the kids shouldn’t have walked on a private property but the cop should also have kept away his gun.