OPRA Request – Arrest of John White on October 29, 2023 (Aggravated Assault on Hoboken Police)
Dear Hoboken City,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), I respectfully request access to the following government records:
All body-worn camera footage, dash camera footage, and rear seat camera footage (if applicable) related to the arrest of John White (30 years old, of Hoboken) on October 29, 2023, at approximately 2:15 a.m.
The incident occurred near the intersection of Newark Street and Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ, in front of a pizza restaurant.
Officers involved included Michael Straten, Jessica Pizanie, David Chicara, Nicholas Protopapadakis, Sgt. Frances McCourt, Detective Ryan Houghton, Shelby Seickendick, and Anthony Fesken.
The arrest involved Mr. White playing a guitar while allegedly berating officers, splashing an unknown liquid at officers, resisting arrest, attempting to prevent vehicle door closure, and acting aggressively at headquarters.
Charges included aggravated assault, resisting arrest with physical force, refusal to be fingerprinted, and disorderly conduct.
Please include footage from shortly before, during, and after the officers' initial contact, all warnings given, the alleged assault (splashing liquid and resisting), the physical arrest, transport to headquarters if applicable, and conduct at headquarters. If multiple officers or devices recorded the events, please provide footage from each.
If any footage will be withheld or redacted, please notify me in advance, provide a specific explanation for each withholding, and cite the legal basis. Given the strong public interest in transparency regarding allegations of violence against officers and use of force, full disclosure is essential.
I respectfully request that any associated fees be waived, as this request is made in the public interest for purposes of transparency and news reporting. If fees are necessary, please inform me before fulfilling the request.
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
woodlfilms
April 29, 2025
Woodlfilms,
The City of Hoboken has received your three (3) OPRA requests LOG #
25-1063, # 25-1064 & # 25-1066. The due date for the requests is 5/7/25.
The City of Hoboken requires an additional thirty (30) days to respond to
the request. Due to the high volume of Hoboken Police Department requests.
The office will not be able to fulfill the request in the allotted
timeframe given by OPRA. The new due date will June 9, 2025. If possible,
the HPD will forward the response as soon as it is completed. T.Y.
Sincerely,
Michael Mastropasqua
Hoboken City Clerk
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201 420 2000 ext. 2005
[1][email address]
From: City Clerk
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 11:23 AM
To: Blue Line Lens <[email address]>
Cc: OPRA <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA LOG # 25-1073, # 25-1074 & # 25-1075
April 29, 2025
Blue Line lens,
The City of Hoboken has received your three (3) OPRA requests LOG # 25-10
73, # 25-1074 & # 25-107569. The due date for the requests is 5/7/25. The
City of Hoboken requires an additional thirty (30) days to respond to the
request. Due to the high volume of Hoboken Police Department requests. The
office will not be able to fulfill the request in the allotted timeframe
given by OPRA. The new due date will June 9, 2025. If possible, the HPD
will forward the response as soon as it is completed. T.Y.
Sincerely,
Michael Mastropasqua
Hoboken City Clerk
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201 420 2000 ext. 2005
[2][email address]
References
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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
May 16, 2025
Woodlfilms,
OPRA requests LOG # 25-1063, # 25-1064 & # 25-1066 – Per the Hoboken
Police Department, the “BWCs” were sent.
Sincerely,
Michael Mastropasqua
Hoboken City Clerk
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201 420 2000 ext. 2005
[1][email address]
From: City Clerk
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 11:38 AM
To: woodlfilms <[OPRA #75182 email]>
Cc: OPRA <[email address]>
Subject: FW: OPRA LOG # 25-1063, # 25-1064 & # 25-1066
April 29, 2025
Woodlfilms,
The City of Hoboken has received your three (3) OPRA requests LOG #
25-1063, # 25-1064 & # 25-1066. The due date for the requests is 5/7/25.
The City of Hoboken requires an additional thirty (30) days to respond to
the request. Due to the high volume of Hoboken Police Department requests.
The office will not be able to fulfill the request in the allotted
timeframe given by OPRA. The new due date will June 9, 2025. If possible,
the HPD will forward the response as soon as it is completed. T.Y.
Sincerely,
Michael Mastropasqua
Hoboken City Clerk
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201 420 2000 ext. 2005
[2][email address]
From: City Clerk
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 11:23 AM
To: Blue Line Lens <[3][email address]>
Cc: OPRA <[4][email address]>
Subject: OPRA LOG # 25-1073, # 25-1074 & # 25-1075
April 29, 2025
Blue Line lens,
The City of Hoboken has received your three (3) OPRA requests LOG # 25-10
73, # 25-1074 & # 25-107569. The due date for the requests is 5/7/25. The
City of Hoboken requires an additional thirty (30) days to respond to the
request. Due to the high volume of Hoboken Police Department requests. The
office will not be able to fulfill the request in the allotted timeframe
given by OPRA. The new due date will June 9, 2025. If possible, the HPD
will forward the response as soon as it is completed. T.Y.
Sincerely,
Michael Mastropasqua
Hoboken City Clerk
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201 420 2000 ext. 2005
[5][email address]
References
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2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
June 2, 2025
Mark Zurka,
The City of Hoboken has received your OPRA request Log # 25-1352 and the
responsive record are attached and provided.
PLEASE REPLY “ALL” WHEN RESPONDING TO OPRA
Sincerely,
Michael Mastropasqua
Hoboken City Clerk
94 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201 420 2000 ext. 2005
[1][email address]
From: Mark Zurada Esq.
<[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 8:03 PM
To: OPRA <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA Request: Rebid - Demolition Of 207-209 Jefferson Street
Dear Hoboken City,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law
right of access. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
Please send the final and compiled bid tabulation (bid tally), including
all quantities and unit pricing for each bidder, for 'Rebid - Demolition
Of 207-209 Jefferson Street' that was submitted on 12/04/2024.
Below is an example of the format we are looking for that the engineer
usually creates at the completion of the bid:
___________________________| BIDDER 1 | BIDDER 2_____ |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Item | Description | QNT | UNIT | AMOUNT | UNIT | AMOUNT |
If a line-item bid summary or tally was not prepared, please provide the
individual bid submissions from each general contractor so I can analyze
the line items directly.
Please send all responsive documents electronically to:
[2][email address] or simply by
replying to this email. By using this unique email address in my requests,
I'm able to keep my records organized.
For purposes of common law access and fee waivers, my public interest
justification is as follows:
- Bid tabulations obtained through this request are made publicly
available at no cost. This ensures that taxpayers, businesses,
journalists, and policymakers have free access to procurement data that
impacts public funds.
- Transparency and accountability: Publicly available bid results help
prevent overpricing, bid-rigging, and favoritism in public contracts.
- Support for small businesses: Many firms, especially small and
minority-owned businesses, rely on bid history to compete fairly in
government contracting.
- Cost savings for taxpayers: Open access to bid tabulations promotes
competition, leading to more cost-effective government spending.
I am a citizen of the United States and affirm my full name and contact
information is true and correct. I have not been convicted of any
indictable offense under the laws of any state whatsoever nor the United
States. I, or another person, will use the requested government records
for a commercial purpose. I am not seeking records in connection with a
legal proceeding.
Should you need it, my mailing address is 66 Main St #55, Farmingdale, NJ
07727, and my phone number is (732) 444-7051. For any compliance matters
or other questions *not related* to the responsive record, please email
our general counsel at legal[at][3]govrecordrequest.com. Please do not
send responsive records to that address.
Thank you!
Yours faithfully,
Mark Zurada Esq.
Warning: This email is from an external sender. Be cautious before
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References
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