More charges filed against East Haven officer

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — One of four East Haven police officers charged in January with abusing Latino residents and others is facing new federal charges that he repeatedly hit a motorcycle with his police car and then repeatedly punched the injured driver.

Jason Zullo was charged in a new indictment with unreasonable force and obstruction of justice, the U.S. Attorney's office said Tuesday. Authorities say in 2008 Zullo struck the motorcycle, causing the two victims to be thrown to the ground and then punched one of the victims who was injured and pinned to the ground and filed a false police report to justify the assault.

The driver who was assaulted suffered fractured vertebrae and other injuries, according to the indictment.

Zullo's attorney, Norm Pattis, said he didn't have details on the new charges, but said if they resemble the earlier ones, "nothing times nothing is just more nothing."

One of the four, Sgt. John Miller, pleaded guilty Friday to using unreasonable force during an arrest. His attorney said the charge he pleaded guilty to did not involve a member of a minority group.

Authorities say officers intimidated, harassed and humiliated members of the Latino community and their advocates, conducted illegal searches at Latino-owned businesses and wrote false reports to cover up their illegal arrests and assaults.

The officers have pleaded not guilty.