The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
A Franklin Township Police sergeant remained in the Burlington County Jail in Mt. Holly Nov. 5, following his arrest by State Police on multiple charges.
Sgt. Teddy Cerra, 42, of Southampton, was charged on Nov. 1 with a weapons offense, robbery, aggravated assault and driving while intoxicated after an altercation with another driver on Red Lion Road in Southampton, according to published reports.
According to the reports, Cerra and the unnamed driver engaged in a verbal altercation after the other driver allegedly saw Cerra driving erratically.
Cerra and the other driver stopped and exited their vehicles, according to the reports, when Cerra allegedly pointed a handgun at the other driver and took his wallet.
The other driver then got back into his car and attempted to leave, allegedly prompting Cerra to pursue him. Cerra’s car then struck two other cars during the pursuit, according to the reports.
State Troopers who had been notified by a 9-1-1 call arrived at the scene and arrested Cerra, according to reports.
Cerra is a public information officer in the FTPD’s Bureau of Community Affairs. He has been a police officer since 2002, according to state records.
FTPD spokesman Lt. Phil Rizzo said in an emailed statement that “Sgt Cerra has been suspended from duty in accordance with the Attorney General’s guidelines. There is an ongoing internal affairs investigation, and as such we cannot comment on this incident.”
Cerra is also the founder of the Southampton-based Division Security Consultants, which is a Federal Firearms Dealer and a New Jersey Retail Firearms Dealer, according to the company’s web site.
The company provides “Basic & Advanced Firearms Training, Personal Defense Training and training for Police, Fire & Emergency Medical Services Professionals,” and also residential and commercial security, according to the site.
According to his biography on the site, Cerra was a former Special Agent of the United States Secret Service, and “is considered an expert in physical security and executive protection. During his tenure, Teddy protected current and former United States presidents and high level foreign dignitaries, while managing complex criminal investigations involving financial fraud, counterfeit U.S. currency, and protective intelligence.”
Cerra is also “a New Jersey State Police Training Commission and National Rifle Association (NRA) Certified Firearms Instructor,” according to the site. He is a “a Certified New Jersey State Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic (MICP) and Firefighter. He is a Certified Computer Forensic Examiner with extensive computer knowledge, experience and specialized training in CFI/e-Discovery, High Tech Investigations, Cyber Intelligence and Advanced Data Recovery.”
