By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Essex County announced that Frederick Parisi, 57, of Rutherford, New Jersey, was found guilty of nine counts including second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree endangering an injured victim, impersonating a police officer, and related offenses, by an Essex County jury. 
Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II stated that Assistant Prosecutors Shelby Day and Gianna Sanguinetti tried the case before the Honorable Lori Grifa, J.S.C., and the jury returned its verdict on Wednesday, February 26.
According to Essex County officials, Assistant Prosecutor Day stated that the aggravated assault occurred on March 13, 2020, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Thomas Street in Newark.
Parisi, a security guard at the Family Dollar store at 131 Clinton Avenue, chased a homeless man suspected of shoplifting in a police car, struck him with the vehicle, and then sprayed him in the face with pepper spray, ECPO officials stated.
Essec County authorities said the victim, Hector Rodriguez, sustained life-threatening injuries. Parisi was arrested with two fake identification cards, one claiming he was a Passaic New Jersey Police Officer, the other a national concealed carry permit.
Assistant Prosecutor Day said, “No matter a person’s background, justice must be accessible to all, especially those from marginalized communities who have too often been denied it.”
Parisi is currently serving a 16-year sentence in the state of Georgia for impersonating a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, ECPO officials said. He was extradited to New Jersey to stand trial.
Parisi is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Grifa in April, according to Essex County officials. He could face a sentence of up to ten years in prison.