Jury deadlocks in police chief's hate-crime trial

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A federal jury has deadlocked in the trial of a white former police chief charged with a hate crime against a handcuffed black suspect.

A judge declared a mistrial Friday after jurors couldn't reach a verdict on hate crime assault and deprivation of civil rights charges.

On Wednesday, they had convicted Frank Nucera of lying to the FBI.

Authorities alleged the former Bordentown Township police chief smashed the 18-year-old's head into a doorjamb while he was being escorted by two officers from a hotel in 2016. They said the assault was driven by racial hatred.

Nucera's attorney argued that some officers wanted to get rid of Nucera because of his tough disciplinary policies.

The U.S. attorney's office said Friday it would retry Nucera on the two deadlocked counts.