A newly promoted New Jersey police captain has been charged with trying to run down a councilman from a nearby city with her car, authorities said Tuesday.
Monique Smith, an Irvington police captain, faces aggravated assault, stalking, criminal mischief, harassment and two weapons charges stemming from her Monday night encounter with Newark Councilman John James, son of former Mayor Sharpe James.
According to Newark police spokesman Sgt. Ronald Glover, James was near his home at about 11 p.m. when Smith approached and began yelling at him. When James climbed into his vehicle and drove off, Smith followed, and authorities said she struck James' car several times before James reached the home of his father.
Smith, 43, was arrested later at a different location. It wasn't immediately clear if Smith had retained a lawyer.
A woman answering the phone at James' council office Tuesday said James wasn't commenting.
A spokeswoman for the Essex County prosecutor's office said its domestic violence unit and professional standards bureau were monitoring the case and would handle the prosecution.
The 46-year-old James is a military veteran who served on active duty during Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s and in Afghanistan in 2007-08. He was elected to the Newark City Council in November 2013.
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His father served as mayor from 1986 to 2006 but was convicted of fraud and conspiracy in 2008 and sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for steering city-owned land to a one-time mistress.
Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss told NJ.com that Smith would be suspended without pay pending an investigation.
