FRANKLIN (Somerset) — An on-duty township police officer was behind the wheel of his police vehicle when he shot up heroin and nearly died from an overdose, prosecutors said Friday.
Matthew D. Ellery, 29, of Middlesex Borough, has lost his job with the township police department after admitting that he drove under the influence and was in possession of heroin.
As part of his plea deal, Ellery will avoid jail or prison by applying to the Drug Court program. He will have to remain clean for five years or else face a five-year prison sentence for the third-degree drug charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Superior Court in Somerville on Aug. 23.
The overdose happened months ago but officials kept it secret, announcing the guilty plea on Friday. Last month, NJ.com reported that he had been charged with DWI but officials declined to provide further information until now.
The investigation of the April overdose coincides with the abrupt resignations on June 30 of Police Chief Richard Grammar and Capt. Gregory Borlan. Grammar left his post just a year and six months after he was appointed to it. The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office took over the department, a move that happens when prosecutors have lost confidence in a department’s ability to govern itself. Like the overdose, authorities are keeping the reasons for the resignations and takeover secret from the public.
Prosecutors said a fellow officer discovered Ellery about 1:08 a.m. April 7 after the department had been unable to reach him over police radio.
Police were dispatched to his last known location and found him passed out in his vehicle parked at a business address on Bennetts Lane.
The responding officer was also an emergency medical technician and could tell that Ellery was blue in the face, wasn’t breathing and had no pulse.
Ellery was revived with two doses of Narcan, the opioid antidote that many police officers now carry.
As part of the plea deal, his driver’s license will be suspended for seven months. He will not be allowed to work for the township police department but the prosecutor’s announcement did not say that he would be banned from any other public or police employment in the state.
DaFuq?!
dont talk shit get the guy help
Ofcourse no jail time due to a plea deal.
I went to School with his dad, good family. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. Corporate Greed and Irresponsible Physicians have fueled this Epidemic… Prayers for a full recovery ?
Lisa Williams very true!!
Lisa Williams Macklemore knows it!! Good song and very true.
Sad.. hope he gets help
Lowlife
We all got dirty secrets..fix it.
Dumb ass
Even the cops are fiends
jail for what
Bob Mccullough seriously right now?? If this jerk off caught someone with heroin he be putting them in jail, yet he doesn’t deserve it?? Are ya kidding me? You sound ridiculous!
Actually they’re usually released with a summons
A holding cell for as few hours is not jail. I dont agree with his agreement, but cops have 0 say in jail time or not……
Absolutely I know that, I was just making a point…. he would arrest them not necessarily put them in jail I used the wrong terminology
Nicole Neary if you overdose you don’t get arrested. They’ll take your shit
No. That is just to fucked up!
Sad that they covered this story uo for month til he toom a plea smh
Old news
Hope he gets the help he needs. ?
unreal thats how bad jeresy is now police overdozing really
Walter Firstmeyer it’s not just here, we’re out in a few years
i dont care who if ur hooked on that shit i feel bad for u n u need help
He was caught with a DWI just a month prior as well! He needs the help!
Jack Barbosa he got a dwi for this incident
should be banned from Law Enforcement permanently
Dawn Verello I don’t think do
Don’t they drug test cops occasionally? I guess not.
Scanlan Tara Nope sad isn’t it
That’s why all police should be equipped with Narcan for just such emergencies
This shows addiction doesn’t discriminate! It affects every single walk of life! I hope he gets the help that he obviously needs!!
Amy Cavanaugh agreed but take his gun away from him permanently..he can no longer be trusted to serve and protect..sorry I hope he gets help
agreed! he should no longer be able to carry a gun or “protect and serve”
Amy Cavanaugh it affects those who chose to let it affect them.
So sad addiction does not discriminate. I hope he gets help and finds recovery.
Diane Pfaff Bleimann I totally agree.. I hope besides firing him they are getting him the help he needs ??????
Cindy L Bowens- Petersen
Cindy L Bowens- Petersen yes and he should be able to return to work if he is in recovery and wants too. He will be an asset to this opiate crisis.
Random Mandatory Testing for ALL PILOTS TOO! Bet there’s a lot more Afraid to get help!
That is just lovely
Joe Fowler
This is just one who got caught. You’re fooling yourself if you think he’s alone. It’s truly an epidemic
Ami Lewalski-Cuccinello I agree
Old or new.. hope he gets the help he needs. ?
Shocking, no not really.
Unbelievable
So tragic
Sad.
I will never understand why people become curious and even try this! ?
JJ Jenn then count your blessings ?
Because you could never be so sad and lost. I cant imagine either.
But I also culdnt imagine being neglected and walking in on mommy doing coke or any of the crazy crap my ex went thru. And all those things led up to the sad sorry sap of bones he became. And now hes dead. All over a white powder. Goddamn this drug. Goddamn the weakwilled. Because those are the only people this drug comes after.
Rehab feel sorry 4 Him N His Family Hope He Gets The Help He Needs
So….a cop od’s, everyone comments so sad, hope he gets help, etc
When anyone else od’s, it’s the complete opposite. ?
Sharon Lynn Huber Lol I never see any comments other then well wishes , no matter who it is
Laura Lange go to the top of the page. Search “overdose”. Read all the comments. Brace yourself.
Sharon Lynn Huber not me. I say. Crooked cop ain’t doing his job being a part of the problem. Glad he’s off the force. Sorry for my inhumanity, but your right, there is no humanity for anybody else.
Asshole
This goes to show just how much trouble our country is really in. We are the number one buyer of drugs and you name it. And fot hat for reason? To Escape?
REALLY WHY?
We live in the richest most privileged country in the world!
Sorry, Bad typing.
But the question still stands.
Why?
For What Reason?
Does this make any sense to anyone…..Really?!!
Shit doesn’t discriminate.
But if u smoke a little marijuana your life’s over ?
All this sympathy for a cop but what about others who OD? Ya’ll be jumping on them calling them junkies.
What a disgrace and just as bad is co-workers never noticed??!!
Maryellen Acocella right?! How stupid can u b to not see it.
Maryellen Acocella Evidence of the failed drug war…or the blue line…or both
Danny Haze the Blue line certainly wouldn’t condone having a heroin addict watching their back!!
#ShootYourLocalHeroinDealer
Drugs don’t discriminate
on duty??? how did not one other cop or even administrator notice???