Dover mayor calls for 'Day of Healing,' public meeting after violent arrest video

Responding to public protests following the release of a video showing a Dover police officer punching an assault suspect while restrained by other officers, Mayor James Dodd has declared Tuesday to be a "Community Day of Healing" and has called for a special public meeting that night.

Dodd also has ordered all town employees to undergo unconscious bias training following the arrest of Cyprian Luke on North Warren Street following a confrontation with police in the early morning hours of May 19.

"Divisiveness and hate in any shape or form has no home in the Town of Dover," Dodd said.

The special public meeting of the board of alderman will begin at 7 p.m. in a larger hall, the Dover Civic Center, to accommodate the public. 

"The purpose of this meeting is to hear residents’ concerns, communicate and come together as a community to begin the healing process," Dodd said.

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Community, religious and civic leaders will be present and members of the public will be given an opportunity to speak, Dodd said. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office also have been invited to participate. 

Police say Luke was confronted by officers who were tipped to his location and advised there was a warrant out of Morristown for his arrest on an aggravated assault charge.

Luke's ensuing confrontation with police was captured on video by Luke's friend, Marcus Robinson. The video shows one officer repeatedly punching Luke in the face, shouting at him to "stop resisting" and turn over on his stomach, when it appears other officers restraining him are preventing him from doing so.

The video spread quickly on social media, leading to a protest at the arrest scene on the evening of May 19.

Luke was later arraigned in Morristown Superior Court on one previous assault charge, and faces new charges out of Dover for resisting arrest and hindering prosecution.

Three officers seen in the video have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

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William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.