Married State Police detectives who lied about bar fight terminated, barred from public jobs

Two married New Jersey State Police detectives will give up their posts and be barred from future public employment after lying about their role in a North Wildwood bar fight, acting state Attorney General Andrew Bruck announced Monday.

Sgt. Gregory and Sgt. Dorothy Ogden, both of Hammonton, were accepted into a pretrial intervention program, and the charge of falsifying or tampering with records levied against each of them will be dismissed if they complete the program, according to Bruck.

The two admitted they submitted false written reports to their superiors about the fight, Bruck said.

Lawyers for the Ogdens did not return requests for comment.

The Ogdens were initially charged in April, when authorities alleged they did not immediately notify their superiors they were involved in a February 22 bar brawl and then submitted a late report that contained falsehoods.

Gregory Ogden claimed he was struck with a beer bottle by someone while he was exiting the bathroom, but video from the scene shows him charging a person and twice attempting to punch them before being hit with the bottle, authorities said.

Dorothy Ogden, meanwhile, claimed she was not near her husband during the altercation, but video shows her involved in the melee, according to authorities.