Lawyer: Town Manager Will Be 'Vindicated' of Charges

A lawyer representing Livingston Township Manager Michele Meade for assault allegations and other charges stemming from an incident during a police exercise in April outside the Livingston Senior/Community Center said his client will be “vindicated” of all charges. 

Meade has hired Salvatore Alfano, a Bloomfield-based attorney, to represent her as she faces an assault charge filed by Livingston resident Kelly Mollineaux; and charges of disorderly conduct for “abusive language” toward a police officer and obstructing justice—both filed by Livingston Police Sgt. Kenneth Hanna.  

“I believe the complaints are frivolous and she will be vindicated,” Alfano said Monday. 

Meade will appear before Judge Bridget Stecher in West Caldwell on June 26 at 9:30 a.m. to face the three charges. 

Meade did not return a phone call Monday for comment. 

All three charges stem fom an April 19 alleged incident during an Emergency Service Unit training exercise operation conduced by the Essex County Police Academy on the property of the former Dubrows Nursery, at 247 West Northfield Road.

There are multiple accounts of what happened that day; some reports indicate Meade as exhibiting “uncontrolled rage” during the entire incident and being "nothing short of abusive,” while another reported Meade was assaulted. 

Different Reports of the Same Incident 

Meade told police in a report that she arrived at Livingston Community Center, which is adjacent to the former Dubrows Nursery at about noon on April 19. The training exercise that day—which included officers from Livingston, Bloomfield, Belleville, Millburn and Little Silver—was for basic SWAT, room-clearing exercises and scenarios involving potentially armed people. 

Meade, unaware the training exercise was being conducted, said in a police report that she received a call that there was a man holding a gun and wearing camouflage and face paint outside the Community Center. Meade reported that she received the call from Jen Hessberger, director of the Community Center’s Senior, Youth and Leisure Services. 

The reports filed with the Livingston Police Department can be found in the photo gallery of this article. 

However, Meade’s statement that the camouflaged man—identified as Livingston Officer Vince Daly who was participating in the police exercise—was seen brandishing a gun was contradicted by Hanna in a separate report.  

Meade confronted Hanna and Belleville Police Officer Charlie Mollineaux, the latter also participating in the exercise, at the Community Center. While speaking with Hanna, Livingston resident Kelly Mollineaux, Charlie’s wife, was taking pictures of Meade, according to reports. Kelly Mollineaux was taking photos of the exercise for the police departments. 

Meade approached Kelly Mollineaux in an “obviously aggressive” way, reported Hanna, at which time Charlie Mollineaux stepped in between his wife and Meade.

Charles Mollineaux stated in a separate report that Meade was “highly agitated and belligerent” and said her actions were “extremely excessive.”

While Charlie Mollineaux stood between his wife and Meade, Hanna reported that Charlie Mollineaux “raised his hand palm facing out, about six inches from his chest,” and Meade continually pointed in his face and screamed, according to the report.

Meade reported “some words may have been exchanged" and stated Charlie Mollineaux pushed her.

Hanna, however, reported that Meade lunged at Charlie Mollineaux and ran into his hand, which was still at his chest. Hanna reported that Meade then began to yell, “I was assaulted! I was assaulted by Charlie [Mollineaux]! Sgt. Hanna, you’re a police officer—I order you to do something!”

Hanna emphasized in his report that Charlie Mollineaux never made any “aggressive movement toward” Meade.  

“I had not observed any assault whatsoever on Ms. Meade by Officer [Charlie] Mollineaux,” Hanna wrote in his report. “In fact, it was obvious to me that Ms. Meade, who continued to act aggressively despite our attempts to calm her down, had purposefully thrust herself into Officer [Charles] Mollineaux in an effort to create bodily contact and falsely claim assault.” 

Hanna then reported Meade went around Charlie Mollineaux and “took a deliberate swing at Kelly Mollineaux and hit her with “an open hand.” Kelly Mollineaux in a separate report stated Meade approached her and “swatted at her with her right hand, grazing [her] vest and jacket.”

Hanna summed up Meade’s actions as “uncontrolled rage” during the entire incident. 

“Throughout the exchange,” Hanna said in a police report, “Ms. Meade’s facial expression, tone and volume of voice, body posture, hand gestures and foul language” communicated “uncontrolled rage. She was loud, aggressive and unable to control her hostility. ... She was nothing short of abusive.”