CNBNews

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

BELLMAWR, NJ (December 15, 2022)(CNBNews)--A Bellmawr Police Officer who was accused of sucker-punching a man at a wedding held at the Marion Catering Hall, Cinnaminson in May 2019 has been found innocent of all charges, according to court documents obtained by CNBNews.

Those documents, dated December 14, 2020, from the Cinnaminson Municipal Court, titled “Civil Action Expungement Order, state in part,

"THIS MATTER having resulted in an arrest/charge not resulting in a conviction or adjudication of delinquency (dismissal, acquittal, discharge without a find of guilt) for ANTHONY J. FRANKLIN, and it appears that the requirement for Expungement under NJSA 2C:52-6, have been satisfied.”

It was signed by Judge Corey E. Ahart.

Donald Walker, the alleged victim, claimed that Police Officer Anthony Franklin, of the Bellmawr Police Department, age 33, at the time, “sucker punched” him. He told FoxNews29 investigating reporter Jeff Cole,  “I have a fractured orbital bone, gashes on the side of my head from where I was bleeding from a cut.”  

Franklin was an invited guest at the wedding. The groom, Walker's nephew, is a Bellmawr police officer.

Walker, of Delaware County, told Cole the injuries he suffered in May 2019 came from the fist of a Bellmawr police officer during the wedding of his nephew.

"If you have anger issues at a wedding that you’re invited to what are you doing on the street as a police officer," Walker said to Cole.

He claimed Franklin “sucker punched” him in the head when he asked a sergeant on the Bellmawr force (an invited guest) to stop acting inappropriately toward his 19-year-old daughter during the wedding.

Court documents stated Officer Franklin was accused of an “extreme indifference to the value of human life” and was charged with aggravated assault in the third degree.

Walker told Cole, “Something has to be done just because it’s a police officer doesn’t mean it’s going to go away.”

Franklin stated to CNBNews recently, “The venue (Marion Catering Hall) produced the video to the police. The news articles you guys and Fox posted about me were before any discovery had taken place. The video revealed Mr. Walker started the fight by punching the groom ( his nephew) in the face,” said Officer Franklin, “and then a brawl broke out. He (Walker) also advised the police he had grabbed me by my throat because he thought I was going to fight his son. Once the prosecutor saw the video from Marion Catering the charges were dismissed,“ said Franklin. 

Officer Franklin said his attorney has filed a lawsuit, on his behalf, against Walker, and that case is still pending. 

RELATED: Bellmawr police officer accused of throwing sucker punch at wedding