NEW JERSEY -- A former Hardyston police officer who left the force in 2016 under involuntary disability retirement is facing animal cruelty charges after police allege he shot and killed his family dog outside his home in Vernon while he was under the influence.
Edward F. O'Rourke, who lives with his wife and children, was placed under arrested Aug. 12 and charged with fourth-degree cruelty to animals. The arrest report from police indicated the incident was reported at 11 p.m. Aug. 11 via a 911 call from a member of the public, but O'Rourke wasn't arrested until 10:13 p.m. Aug. 12.
Although additional details of the incident are forthcoming, the complaint from Vernon police, obtained by the New Jersey Herald, states that O'Rourke "knowingly or purposely" committed cruelty to an animal "specifically by shooting his dog to death with a handgun."
Police records indicate that O'Rourke "appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the offense" when he shot and killed the "family dog outside his home."
The weapon used was only described as a "handgun."
O'Rourke worked for the Hardyston Police Department on and off for 16 years and six months before Police Chief Bret Alemy agreed to the filing of involuntary retirement based off documentation provided by medical professionals and the Township Council passed a resolution to approve it on Sept. 14, 2016.
He officially retired on Sept. 16, 2016, according to records obtained from Hardyston Township.
Under the state Division of Pensions and Benefits, an employer may apply for an involuntary disability retirement on behalf of an employee it believes to be "totally and permanently disabled" from fulfilling their job duties.
Information on the specific medical reason for his disability is exempt from disclosure under the Open Public Records Act.
According to the Division of Pensions and Benefit, when a employee or retiree is eligible for disability retirement, if they have had at least four years of service but less than 20 years of service in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System, their retirement allowance is 40 percent of their final year salary.
According to records, O'Rourke's salary was $100,708 his final year as an officer in Hardyston. He was promoted to sergeant in 2012.
Hired as an officer for the Hardyston Police Department on July 1, 1997, O'Rourke resigned from the department on Jan. 14, 2008. State records indicate that O'Rourke went on disability retirement on Feb. 8, 2008.
O'Rourke was reinstated from disability retirement by the Board of Trustees of the state Division of Pensions and Benefits in April 2010 and was re-hired by Hardyston Police on Aug. 9, 2010.
A crime of the fourth-degree does not require a mandatory jail sentence and allows for alternate options for the individual, such as probation. However, a judge, if he so chooses, can impose a jail sentence between one and 1 1/2 years in jail.
O'Rourke is slated for his first state Superior Court appearance on Monday.
(New Jersey Herald - Dec 2, 2017)
