State trooper accused of pulling over women to ask for dates

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey State Police trooper accused of repeatedly pulling over women to ask them out on dates has been indicted.

The state attorney general's office announced Thursday that 32-year-old Eric Richardson faces charges including official misconduct, criminal coercion and tampering with records.

Prosecutors allege Richardson pulled over female drivers and threatened to arrest them unless they handed over their phone numbers. They allege in one case he pulled a woman over three times, the last time to ask her if she'd been getting his texts. They say he logged that stop as "aiding a motorist."

Among other things, he's accused of turning off his patrol car's dashboard camera is some of the stops.

Richardson was suspended from his trooper's position after being charged in May 2017.

His lawyer Andaiye Al-Uqdah says she can't comment.