Around 12:04 AM on April 30, 2023, Patrolman Dominick Vandebrook with the Ocean Township Police Department observed a white 2014 Chevy Equinox swerving towards the fog line on Route 9 in the vicinity of Bryant road. As followed the vehicle, he observed the vehicle being driven with its passenger side tires in the shoulder. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over in the area of St. Stephens Episcopal Church. He notified dispatch about the traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was identified as 26-year-old Nikayla. As he was speaking with Nikayla and her passenger, he detected the odor of alcohol as well as another substance that they had probably smoked. Nikayla was asked for her documents, and she provided them without issue. She told Patrolman Vandebrook that they were headed to Wawa. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Nikayla was eventually asked exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Patrolman Russell Moller started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test, and Nikayla did not touch heel-to-toe on each step while turning improperly and taking an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand Test. Nikayla exhibited a slight sway and did not count in the perfect sequence. Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Nikayla was placed under arrest. After she was placed under arrest, a search of her vehicle incident to arrest revealed an open container of tequila. Her vehicle was later impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Patrolman Vandebrook transported Nikayla to the Ocean Township Police Department for further processing. At the station, she was read Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and she agreed to submit breath samples. Patrolman Moller administered the Alcotest machine. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.11%, which was over the legal limit of 0.08%. After they were finished processing Nikayla, she was released to her brother pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Nikayla’s behalf. Patrolman Vandebrook issued Nikayla the following citations: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and open container Court records indicate that on April 16, 2024, Nikayla was found guilty of operating under the influence. As a result of being found guilty, Nikayla had to use an ignition interlock device for 7 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $690 in fines. Nikayla had previously been arrested in South Toms River on October 21, 2022. Nikayla was later arrested again in Toms River on November 7, 2024. She also has received multiple citations for driving with a suspended registration and as of January 10, 2025, it appears that she has an outstanding warrant from Lakewood for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage on November 22, 2024. ---------------------------------------------- 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. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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