Four Belleville police officers have been charged with simple assault in connection with a fight at a North Arlington bar.
NORTH ARLINGTON - A 26-year-old man allegedly beaten up by an off-duty police officer at a crowded bar two months ago has described a chaotic scene during which he suffered blunt force trauma to his head and internal bleeding.
"Someone got pushed into me. When I went down to the floor I got repeatedly hit - it was mainly shots to the head," said John Koski, 26, of Lyndhurst.
Koski said he was taken by North Arlington Volunteer Emergency Squad to a local hospital where he was treated for more than three hours.
According to a court summons, Jesse J. McKeough, 28, struck Koski repeatedly with his fist. McKeough, a patrol officer with the Belleville Police Department, is charged with simple assault. McKeough, a police officer for four years, has been suspended without pay.
Three other Belleville police officers are also suspended without pay in connection with the incident: John Clarizio, 32, Marco Zarfino, 24, and Giovanni Casillo, 39.
The four officers were arrested Monday in connection with the fight, which occurred Oct. 21 at Pourhouse 17 on Ridge Road.
4 cops suspended after bar fight
Clarizio is charged with simple assault for punching a bar patron with a closed fist, according to a court summons. The officer is also charged with hindering apprehension for falsely telling a Lyndhurst police officer his name was "Anthony Michael Fasano," the summons states.
Zarfino is charged with simple assault. A court summons states he punched a person in the bar.
Casillo is charged with simple assault for allegedly punching bar patron Vasilios Theofanidis, 39, according to a summons.
Theofanidis, described by authorities as a pool technician, is charged with simple assault for allegedly pushing a person in the bar, a summons states.
A woman who answered the phone at Pourhouse 17 on Tuesday said the owner was not available to comment.
In addition to being treated for a head injury, Koski says his eyeglasses were smashed in brawl.
"I got my glasses knocked off my face," he said.
Koski said he does not know what started the fight, which prosecutors said began inside the bar and continued on the sidewalk outside after security had removed the people involved.
"I was sitting at the high-top (table) with my sweatshirt on with my hood on my head," Koski said. "The next thing I know, I'm in a fetal position on the ground getting pounded."
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.