A New Jersey corrections officer was arrested after he allegedly tried to strangle his girlfriend during a domestic dispute that was only ended when she smashed a wine glass into the side of the officer’s head, The Washington Post has learned.
It’s unclear what led to the July 21 altercation between Sergeant Alwyn Dixon, 42, of Passaic, New Jersey, and the unidentified victim. Police would only say that the victim “fits the definition of a domestic violence victim,” according to the complaint obtained by The Washington Post.
But Dixon, a 22-year veteran of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office who makes about $141,000 a year, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he chased her that Sunday in nearby Hackensack, where sources say Dixon’s girlfriend lives.
“During the argument, the assailant forced the victim into a refrigerator and placed one hand around her throat in an attempt to block her airway,” local Hackensack police wrote in a report, noting children were also present at the altercation.
“The victim then struck the suspect in the head with a wine glass, causing lacerations.”
Police arrested the officer, who jail records indicate is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds, and charged him with second-degree aggravated assault.
He was released from jail the following evening, according to police sources and prison records.
His girlfriend complained of a sore throat after the incident but refused medical treatment.
A sheriff’s office spokesman said the department immediately confiscated Dixon’s guns and suspended him with pay.
“Please adjust roster accordingly,” Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina wrote in a brief internal memo announcing the sergeant’s suspension and obtained by The Washington Post.
Dixon could not be reached for comment Monday. His next court appearance is Aug. 21.
It’s the latest test in a difficult year for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, the North Jersey police agency responsible for protecting about a half-million people living northwest of Manhattan.
In January, the police department’s longtime leader, Richard Bardnick, shot himself in a Turkish restaurant bathroom in Clifton, sending shock waves through state law enforcement.
Giardina, who took on running the show after the sheriff’s term, has dealt with a variety of issues since then, including being fired and being investigated by a federal prosecutor. Three police officers were arrested He was arrested in 2021 on suspicion of assaulting a handcuffed inmate and covering it up.
The sheriff’s office is also dealing with a lawsuit filed this spring that alleges it denied a female deputy a promotion because of false rumors about her romantic relationship with a deputy. According to the New Jersey Monitor.
According to the outlet, Kevin Dixon, the cousin of the deputy sheriff, Alwyn Dixon, told the female officer in a text message that he “had to revoke the order” to make her a detective because it had political overtones.
“Court officials are already spreading rumors that I am having sex with you or that I am having a relationship with you,” Dixon’s father wrote in a statement quoted in the woman’s notice of intent to sue.
“I bet there are 100 orders to transfer male officers that have my name on them,” he wrote in another text message. “I have never been accused of having sex with them.”
Kevin Dixon resigned two months later.
