FREEHOLD – An Aberdeen police officer has been charged with deleting a video on a suspect’s phone and tampering with his own drug test.
Philip M. Santiago, 34, of Keyport, was working as an officer in Aberdeen when he was charged with second-degree engaging in a pattern of official misconduct and two counts of fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.
Police said that in May of 2021, while on duty, he deleted a video from a cell phone belonging to a suspect who was in custody, having just been arrested by members of the Aberdeen Police Department. The video had depicted the interaction between the suspect and the officers, leading up to his arrest.
An investigation also revealed that in January of 2021, Santiago allegedly tampered with a drug test he had been ordered to take, rendering it unable to be processed.
Santiago was sworn in as a police officer in 2018, after previously serving as an emergency dispatcher in Aberdeen. If convicted on the charge of official misconduct, he could face a state prison term of 5 to 10 years, with a minimum of five full years to be served before the possibility of parole.
“The charges being announced go beyond the mere breaking of laws – they constitute clear and repeated violations of the solemn oath this officer swore to uphold the interests of justice and serve the public good,” Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey said. “Such conduct is patently and unequivocally unacceptable among our ranks in law enforcement, and does not represent the majority who serve with honor and integrity.”
Charges are merely accusations until proven in a court of law.
