On April 19th, 2024, Island Heights police stopped John Cassidy for an expired motor vehicle registration, which led to a quick computer check indicating Cassidy had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. Mr. Cassidy admitted to the officer that he had no registration, but became defensive and visibly agitated when the officer informed him that two warrants had come back for him. Several minutes into the recording, several police officers are now on the scene, including Tom's River Police and Ocean County Sheriff's. Here are the events that occurred. There's nobody in the car. Nothing else in the car? Nothing in the car. All right. Do me a favor. Just close the door and uh just close the door and uh hop out here. I'm good right here. I'm good. Yeah, you're good. He's out of the car now. Uh I'm just talking to him. You give me a ticket for two registrations. You know, you got registration. We got a couple other things we got to talk about, though. What? You uh you got two warrants out of uh you got one out of Lake Hurst. No, I don't. No ways. No way. They're coming back. I don't care what they say. I got nothing. So, we're going to figure it all out. Don't worry. I'm not going nowhere. I didn't say you're going nowhere. We're going to figure it out. I had no tickets in Lake Hut at all. No tickets? No way. No tickets nowhere. Okay. It's all good. Like I said, we're going to figure it out. Just let me just keep your hands out, you know. Don't do uh I ain't doing nothing. All right. No problem, bro. It's all good. Yeah. Yeah. You're good. I got uh I got my supervisor coming so everything will be figured out. I don't care who's coming. I ain't got no warrant tonight. I got all my stuff. All right. All good. Said just keep your hands out of your pockets for me. I got nothing in my pocket, man. I just want to go to the bathroom. I know you're behind me. It's all because of you. Yeah. Look, like I said, whatever's going on, we're going to figure it out. No, I'm not figuring it out. I'm going to the bathroom. That's it. I got to take you home. Your registration is expired on the car. Oh, give me two tickets to when I leave and when I go home. Give me two tickets right now. Write it now. Write it now. Yeah, write it now. Why you want me to write it right now? Let's go. Snap. Take me time. Let's go. You can mail me in the mail. I can leave right now and stuff like that. Right. Well, you're stopped now. See? No, I'm not stopped. I can still back up. I can still go around. So then you'd be fleeing from No, I'm not fleeing. Yeah, I'm having a panic attack now with anxiety cuz I told you what's going on. So, um, so, so you're going to leave? No, I know. I'm going to get out of the situation with you and I'm There's no situation. Yes, it is. You're good. Yeah, it's affirm. He's telling me he's going to get in his car and leave in a second. I want to go back. I know you're behind me at all, sir. You come up behind behind me. That's not back, please. I'm not messing with you. Why you having stop, please? Why you having a panic attack? coming in behind me. I ain't do nothing. But your So when your registration's expired, don't give me two tickets. He's telling me to mail and check the internet. Got the car off. Got your [ __ ] car off. I got my asthmo in my bag. All right. Well, we'll get an ambulance here. Step out of the car. I'm not stepping out of the car. Step out of the car off now. Shut the car off now. I need for my breathing in my bag. Shut the car off now. I'm going to shut the car off. Shut the car off now. Shut the car off now. I need for my ear to brea. You want me to have that? Shut the car off. Unlock the door. Unlock the door. unlocked the door and we will break the window. I'm not doing nothing wrong. I'll be going get gas. I'll be going the car wash my car going to the bathroom. I didn't know he was behind me. I'm not doing nothing. I have a pay bag and everything. Did he provide you with your light? His license? No, I haven't gotten anything yet. He matches your description. Roll down your window. I asked if he's Johnny. Roll down your window now. All roll down your window information. Get over. Oh my god. This is my [ __ ] day. I do nothing. Nobody went to the courthouse and pull that baby to get money to my rent. Okay. You guys ready? Yeah. Yeah, I am. I got two4 way around, please. going to go home and that's it. I told you we got more to talk about than just the tickets. I got no tickets in Lake. It's Jackson and I've got It's Jackson. So, you know you have something up then. It's now to give it not yet. Well, clearly it's not still taken care of. And I told you we have stuff to talk about. Open the window or I'm going to bust it. Bust it girl. Go ahead. Open it. You want to [ __ ] throw hands at me? I can throw hands on my window. I can do what I want. Throw down the window. No. Do not go in that bag. I don't have in that bag. Keep your hands on the steering wheel in there. Do not go in that bag. Open your door. Give me the two tickets for the registration and I will leave. I had to go to the bathroom. Bathroom. Open the door or the window. Open door. Open it. Open that window. Open that off. All the way. So we can so you can get the information. Yeah, I'm trying to get the information back. I want my information back. Your license. Yeah. My dad So I can get my hand. You catch my hand, sir. Sir, I ain't touch your hand. Sorry, sir. Is that you? Ain't going to be no problem. I don't and that's it. I get gas. I'm going to call out. You call me up. That's what I'm doing. I got to activate my car in the wood. Give me two minutes. Yeah. He's got He's got He's got two wars. Two. Yeah. Open the window. Open the window. [Applause] What's the uh number? Uh court violation or some violation. He's got two. She said one out of Jackson. I got to look at the other one. How long is he how much they are? She said there's no amount. It's just Yeah. It's an NCI. I see. I can check. Heat. Heat. [Music] How [Applause] [Applause] long are the warrant for? They said there's no amount. It's just a wanted person. violent tendencies out of violation of a court order for what is it for? O is Lake Curse PD uh violation of a court order and he has a protection order on him. [Applause] camera. Yeah. [Applause] My two tickets I can leave. Nope. I got no war. I got everything in the bag right here. I just res me over and everything. Okay. Well, do me a favor. If you roll down the window to here, I'll let you go in that bag and grab that information for me just so I can see you. Okay. I can't see through cuz you painted your windows. I didn't paint the window. Okay. Whoever did, can you roll it down to here, please? No, I'm good. I want Can you get the information out for me? Can I go in the back? Yes, you can go in the back. If you roll down the window a little further, just so I can see. Just so I can see. [Applause] What's that? your radio. Your radio Houston. town server to go with this. Do you need additional sheriff's officers as well? Sir, I'm looking for something. Okay. like I went last time I went my leg to the last few weeks. What am I doing? I can't walk. I got court. Is that what I'm looking for? You walk. I had to go. Okay. No, you [ __ ] video. I got What do you think? What you want? No, I know. I got the ticket there. Yeah, I got to stop. No, no, no, no. Wait, wait. You need to get no time. Yeah. Yeah. Uhhuh. Uh-huh. You ain't Can I go back? Nope. Everything within your [ __ ] car. Double triple check all time. Wed me up last night. Put stuff back in the book bag. It's not right here. Off your car, sir. Shut the [ __ ] off now. Your car off now. Yeah, I know. So, I kept both my legs in my car when I was sitting there. Sir, I'm giving you one last open. I gave my registration to go in two seconds, bro. One more. Give me the [ __ ] tickets now. Why you have a camera on me? Get the [ __ ] away from me. Why you got the camera right there? You want you in charge of the police department, sir? acting professional. Where your camera at? We'll be right here in a second. Yep. [Applause] Go get your camera, officer. You need a camera 2000. Not like Manchester didn't record nothing. I want that [ __ ] recorded. It's all being recorded, John. Yep. Need to have a camera, too. Well, it's all on mine. Yeah. And you're making this a lot harder. I ain't making it harder. I told you. Yes, you are. You could just open the door and step out and things could go a lot easier. But you're making this a lot harder for yourself. I can back up right now and leave if I have to. And yet again, your life will get a thousand times harder if you do that. And I promise that I'll promise to do so. I'll take I'll take you down the cage. Teach you a lesson. You'll teach me a lesson. Wrestle with you. See how you like that? Wrestle with me? I'll be like a bag of water on you. Well, to wrestle with me, you have to get out of the car. You don't want to bait me. Yeah. So, why don't you get out of the car and make this a little bit easier? I didn't even say I was so nice to you when I pulled up behind you, too. I introduced myself. I wasn't yelling. I didn't know you were I was going to the bathroom and you came back until we get in the car. We could have been over with this right now. You could get to a bathroom if you just step out of the car. But you're you're prolonging this by sitting here and being non-compliant with us. No, I'm being compliant. I told you give me my two tickets and I'll leave. But so what I told you no registration, right? That's the thing. And then you also have warrants. No warrants. I got tickets. I got home. That's the problem. You do. I got the sh get that home going to court this week. When when our computer tells us you have a warrant, it's right. No, it's not working by the government. Government. It's not a government thing. It's a state thing. It's the courts who work for the state. My my friend, my friend work for the state. Works for the But this isn't a state side thing. This is each municipal court of its own township. Computer. You can do anything like I know. That way I don't get any credit card reports, you know. And I just want you all I want you to do is step out of the car and we can have a conversation. I'm I'm having a conversation right now. What are you fine when you I know. And you're being And you know what? It's cool. But I want you out of the vehicle. Your vehicle's running and you seem a little upset. Hey, you I'm not upset, son. I'm fine. You're fine. Hey, your vehicle runs all the time with John. You running my tax money. Why? I can't mine. Yeah. Take the tack tomato tomato. You know, potato banana. Yeah. Yeah. So, why don't you Well, so why do you want to make this harder and just sit in your car? Just give me my two tickets. You can go. You're the first officer. I can't give you just I can't just give you two tickets and let you go. That's the problem. My my thing here is in my bag. I can call the you up and tell you what's going on when I go. I'm So, the thing is I'm not a judge. I can't just let your warrant go. I'm the judge today. I'm a John Gass. I'm trying to I wish we could all be the judges of ourselves, but I have rules I have to follow and you have rules you have to follow. Your rules. I'm enforcing the rules you have to follow right now. This week I can do what I want. And I'm being very I'm being very nice with you and I'm trying to I'm trying to give you so many chances. You get a chance to do, man. Things could go a lot smoother if you just got out of the car and had a conversation with me and helped me out with this. Why that guy have a camera on? He doesn't have to have a camera on. Don't add up. You have two other officers here with cameras recording this entire thing. Only thing I was doing, getting gas, going to the bathroom, going to the car. Right down the road. Getting myself a new car. You guys stopped me. Where you going to get a new car? Right down the road. He brought me up. I don't know. Down the road by the hot car at Oh, the uh classic cars. Yeah. What kind of car you going to get? Um I don't know what truck he said. He pre-approved already. Oh, you were pre-approved. Yep. What are you What are you selling them? This car? I'm going to sell them this car. It's a derby car. Yeah, it's a derby car. Yeah. They were one. Yeah. How much you get this thing for? I don't know. I'm probably get this thing. 800 bucks. That's not bad. It's a good car, man. Hey, it gets you from point A to point B. Car like this. Yeah. Yeah. Listen, they don't make them like they used to, right? Exactly. Just Just [ __ ] them up when they made this one, you know. Yeah. What do you So, what do you do? You uh do you work? Do you What do you do for work? Um disability. You're Oh, you're on disability? Yeah. Okay. Who did Hey, it happens all the time, man. You know, I ain't worried about that [ __ ] Life's too short. That's the best you can do. The best you can do is loser now. So, I'm okay. There you go. Move on and be stronger. Oh, man. You learn, you know, you learn from the past stuff and you become a stronger person, right? Going forward. Yeah, exactly. I can tell you're an angel because you're nice. You can tell what? You're an angel. You're a nice person. I try my best to be nice. Being angry back doesn't get anyone anywhere. Butterflies in my stomach. Oh, yeah. Dad told me. Yes. That's good. You live in Tom's River? Live in Manchester. It put three times we were heading. Oh, you live in Manchester now? Oh, okay. Where at Manchester? My negative man. Okay. You like it over there? Yeah. It's nice and quiet. Nice and quiet. That's always the best. Came over and messed with me and told me I don't know what I'm doing. Who was special educ? Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. She's got a lens. She's being mean to you. Yep. Yep. I know. That's not cool, man. [ __ ] I hear you. Hey, that's a man of a park, you know. Yeah, I know, man. We going to have fun now. Why are we going to have fun now? Am coming. Oh, that's just 37's busy all the time. You know that you're over Are you over here all the time? Yeah, then you know it's always busy over here. A lot of action always going on Tom's River. So, John, I I want to help you a lot right now. You know, I'm on your I'm on your team. I want things to go as best for you as they possibly can, but I need you to work with me a little bit on things, you know. Yeah. It was so funny, man. Do you know how hard it is for me when I want to help you, but you can't give me back what I need to help you? One day, you can give me my The problem is, look, I'm leaving home. I can't do that, John. I have I have a job that I swore an oath by and I have to follow a set of rules or I get in trouble. I get in trouble by my sister. I know. Listen, everyone gets in trouble. We all got our own set of rules we got to follow. But right now, I just need you to work with me a little bit. Court at 3:00, too. So, you got Where do you have court at? Downtown 3:00. Downtown Toms River. Yep. In regards to what? What are you getting settled down? Good man. Is that why is that why you guys pulled me over? I So, I'm going to tell you why I pulled you over. I pulled you over because I ran your license plate and it says you're expired and then my computer also tells me that you got warrants and other things that I have to deal with. My insurance are good. Registration is coming. It's expired. It's expired. Give me a ticket for that. 40 $51. Give me two. But I believe this. And my ticket is not his in my other I know. But this John, this is what I'm talking about. Where I have rules I have to follow. If my computer's telling me you have a warrant, I can't I can't just let you go. Yes, you can because Brad's putting in the computer right for the government. I know. You say legs first. I I don't have that many like, [Applause] huh? You got deer in your backyard? You want You like hunting? I don't hunt personally. Yeah. They took my Fourth Amendment away. That way. That's my problem. Well, you can't have guns. No. Yeah. A bad You're not the only one in the world with that problem, man. Trust me. I still go home with knives and stuff. Got your knives and stuff. Okay. Yeah. Going out. Where you at? Telling him I'm getting pulled over by cops. Who's texting you? My sensei. Your sensei? Oh, you do karate, too? Yeah. Ma, karate, everything. I know. Oh, you dabbling a little bit of it all? Yeah. All right, man. Girls, women. What's that? Girls, women. Hello. Girls and women. What? I got pulled over with. Yep. They registration. So I don't give me two tickets. One for me to leave, one for I got a ticket Jackson. I go court this week and no problem. They making the problem. I go court at 3. So I don't know what the problem is. Yeah. I paid I paid already at the office. Yes. I'm looking. Yeah. You sent me two pictures. Phone number. John. Yeah. John, can you listen to me for a second? Yes. John, I know you're on the phone, but I need you to look at me for a second. Can you pause the phone call? No, I don't call you. All right. Can you just do me a favor, buddy? Can you shut the car off, John? No. Please. I'm asking you for your windows are open, and I'm asking you I'm asking you help. Look, I'm not telling you to get out of the car, but I'm telling you to shut the car off for me. Oh, I'm going to go hang out real quick. All right. All right. Please sh everybody here. I'm down to by grandma's house. Come over here. You want to see a show? Yeah. John. Come on. I'm go down to my car and everything. John, you need to shut the car off. I ain't shutting the [ __ ] off. Hey, why are you yelling at me? Yeah. Shut the car off, John. Please. I don't want to keep asking you the same question. Thank you. I appreciate I mean, is it like an unlock? Yeah. You want to put the windows down, too? Oh, why' you Why'd you close the window? Hey, I'm looking for that number. All right. You got to get you Okay, John. Why'd you close the window? I'm not hanging out. All right, hang on. John, why'd you close the window, buddy? Because I got scared. What are you scared of? Cuz I think people drive. No one's No one's trying to hurt you. Yeah, because I went through the office. office. Why? I don't know why. Because you're a psycho. Not here. I don't care who's here. No one here is here to hurt you. I'm going to have my office. What are you writing down, buddy? Phone number. Who are you trying to call? Trying to call the courthouse? Yeah. Well, we can call them for you. No, I'm good. I heard you go hands on. What's the matter, John? Why are you starting the car back up? I can't breathe. You can't breathe. All right. Turn the car off. Turn the door. Turn the car off. Unlock the Unlock the door. Unlock the door. Unlock the door. It's unlocked. All right. I get out. All right. Let's go. All right. All right. I got the can't drive off. So I might do I get out of the car. I can't. Please choke me. Somebody's going to have to grab his choke. Get out. Just grab his leg. Nice. Please don't wait. You're going to get a heart attack. Step out. Stop resisting. Stop. Unrest. Stop resisting. I can't give unlock. Step out. Step out. Broken. Right. I'm going to doctor 330. Can you start a radar location? [Applause] We're just trying to this time. I get out. I get out right now. I can't breathe. Yeah, it's a [Applause] Yeah, you guys have to pull. Come on. [Applause] We're code for 330. This is secure for the rig to come in. Negative at this time. He's still in the vehicle. You can't get the driver's seat. Keep pushing. You're good. Got him out. All right. He's down. Back hands behind your back. Bring the armor around your back. Oh crap. I can't breathe. Your arms around your back. I can't. Please. I can't breathe. 911, John. Ambulance is coming. Relax. Please. The ambulance is coming. Relax. I can't breathe. What? You need another multiple guns. I can't breathe. You're okay. Stop resisting. I'm not behind your back. You're okay. Bring your arm around. We're going to get you off. We're going to get your arm. I'll pass it out. Don't grab me, John. Bring your arm around your back. Thank you. Get you off the ground. We're going to get you, John. Give me Give me your arm. We're going to get you up. Just bring your arm on your back. Just bring your arm back. Come on, John. There you go. You're doing good, John. Just relax. We're going to get you off the ground. You're okay. Just stop resisting. All right. Just do a quick pop down. Which car would you like to live? Oh my go 330 county. There's a lot of background noise. That's all I got. I don't think so. Okay. VLS is clear to come in. Uh we got cuffs. 4129. Hey, look at me. Yeah. God. After trying for several minutes, police eventually removed Mr. Cassidy from the vehicle and placed him under arrest. While in handcuffs on the ground, Cassidy asked for an ambulance and told police he was passing out. Just seconds later, Cassidy was unresponsive and appeared to suffer a medical episode, which he was then pronounced dead less than 1 hour later. What are your thoughts on this incident? And also, please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.