Around 2:03 AM on February 23, 2025, Officer Michael Cappello with the Point Pleasant Police Department observed a black SUV drive through the parking lot of the Shore House with the emergency lights and emergency siren activated. He was unsure if the car was trying to get his attention, so he crossed Route 88 and attempted to verbally make contact with the driver of the black 2023 Chevy Tahoe. The driver just ignored him and turned right onto Route 88 westbound. He then deactivated his lights to pursue the vehicle, and observed the driver of the Chevy Tahoe turn left onto Maplewood Road. Since Maplewood Road leads back to Route 88, Officer Cappello headed east on Route 88. Officer Tuzzolino was parked on Central Avenue, and he observed suspect vehicle driving towards his patrol car on Oakwood Road. Around this time, the driver of the Chevy Tahoe yelled “f*****g asshole” towards Officer Tuzzolino. Officer Cappello continued following the suspect vehicle, along with Officer Tuzzolino. The driver continued eastbound on Route 88 before rolling through a red light and turning right onto Beaver Dam Road. While driving on Beaver Dam Road, the driver continued swerving. Officer Cappello kept following the driver before initiating a traffic stop in the vicinity of Beaver Dam Road and Riviera Parkway. Officer Cappello initiated contact with the driver, who was identified as Totowa Police Chief Carmen Veneziano, according to his Law Enforcement Identification card. As he was speaking with Carmen, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Officer Brian Fennessy arrived on scene, and he deactivated his body worn camera to call Chief Adam Picca. After speaking with Chief Picca, it was determined that they would continue with their investigation. Officer Cappello then asked Carmen to perform field sobriety exercises. Carmen admitted to consuming a few drinks earlier. The first exercise was the was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Carmen failed to raise his foot in the proper fashion and put his foot down multiple times. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Carmen failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, turned improperly, and failed to count aloud. The final exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Cappello observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. Based on his erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, and his inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Carmen was placed under arrest for DWI. Carmen was handcuffed in front and placed in the patrol car. The vehicle Carmen was driving was driven by another officer back to the Point Pleasant Police Department, and later released to Totowa Police Captain George DiPasquale. At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to him, and he agreed to submit breath samples. His Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.249%, which was more than triple the legal limit of 0.08%. After they finished processing Carmen, he was released to his friend pending his court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Carmen’s behalf. Officer Cappello issued Carmen the following traffic tickets: -Operating under the influence (39:4-50) -Reckless driving (39:4-96) -Careless driving (39:4-97) -Traffic on marked lanes (39:4-88) Court records indicate that on May 19, 2025, Carmen pleaded guilty to operating under the influence. As a result of his guilty plea, Carmen had to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $640 in fines. The other 3 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. ---------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2024, c.16). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case.

Carmen Veneziano Carmen Veneziano DWI DUI OVI OWI DWI arrest arrested for DWI arrested for DUI DUI arrest Point Pleasant Point Pleasant Beach Jersey shore Ocean County Point Pleasant Police Department Point Pleasant Police Totowa Police Department Totowa Police man arrested Chevy Tahoe Police Chief arrested Chief arrested drunk cop cop arrested police officer arrested Central Jersey drunken driver drunk police chief Totowa Passaic County