(CN) - A New York City police officer is accused of unlawfully arresting a man and illegally searching a woman, and filing falsified documents to conceal the circumstances surrounding the man's arrest.
Jonathan Munoz, 32, was indicted on the felony charge of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree as well as misdemeanor charges of official misconduct and making a punishable false written statement, according to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.
Prosecutors say the New York Police Department officer arrested a 21-year-old man on March 12, 2014, on the premise that he allegedly interfered with the search of a 20-year-old woman that Munoz suspected of buying marijuana. Munoz also claimed that the man lunged and swung a fist at him, according to a Tuesday press release from Vance's office.
But surveillance footage shows that the man did not lunge or swing at Munoz and video also shows that the police officer unlawfully searched the woman as she stood on a sidewalk, the press release states.
The underlying criminal case was dismissed because of Munoz's conduct, prosecutors say.
Munoz is accused of filing false paperwork about the 2014 incident with both the NYPD and the Manhattan DA's office.
"Had this officer's attempts to conceal his alleged misconduct succeeded, an innocent man may still be facing charges for a fabricated crime," Vance said in a statement.
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