Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure helped raise $400K for homeless vet Johnny Bobbitt Jr., but he says they spent it all.

No charges have been filed in the criminal investigation into whether Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure stole GoFundMe donations meant to help a homeless veteran, but D'Amico is currently dealing with the fallout of old charges that he didn't go to court to face.

D'Amico, 39, of Florence Township, was arrested Monday on a warrant for twice failing to appear in court on charges including driving with a suspended license out of Burlington County, according to a statement from Burlington City police. His bail was set at $500.01 and he has since been released.

But what police didn't say was that D'Amico also had a warrant for his arrest in Jersey City for repeatedly skipping bail on a charge for allegedly throwing things from a vehicle and damaging a woman's car in 2016.

According to a Jersey City official, he was released on his own recognizance on that charge following the recent Burlington arrest and ordered to appear in court in Hudson County on Sept. 26.

McClure, 28, and D'Amico started the GoFundMe campaign that went viral last fall after Johnny Bobbitt, 35, a homeless Philadelphia man, used his last $20 to get McClure gas when she was stuck on the side of the road.

But Bobbitt, homeless again and struggling with addiction, has sued them, accusing them of spending the money meant for him on travel and luxury items, including a BMW.

After he filed suit in August, his attorney said none of the $400,000 is left, and the couple's own attorney said Friday that he expects his clients will be indicted.

In this Nov. 2017, file photo, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., left, Kate McClure, right, and Mark D'Amico pose at a Citgo station in Philadelphia. (Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) 

As for the 2016 incident in Jersey City, court documents hint that road rage may have been the root of the charge. Additional information about what happened was not available.

The criminal complaint -- originally filed in Superior Court but later downgraded to municipal court -- alleged D'Amico ripped three headrests off of seats in a Honda Odyssey and then threw them out the window, damaging the hood and windshield of a car being driven by a Jersey City woman.

It caused between $500 and $2,000 in damage, according to the charge.

Court records show that after an initial appearance, he failed to go to court at least three times in 2017 and 2018. Each time, he lost the bail money he had posted for a total of $1,100.

The most recent bail posted on June 5 -- $500 -- was forfeited when he missed a July court date, court records show.

Authorities have not commented on why D'Amico wasn't arrested on either warrant when authorities executed the search warrant Thursday at the home he and McClure share in Florence Township.

Despite his suspended license, he drove away from the home after the raid was over, Philly.com reported.

A spokesman for the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the matter and Florence Police Chief Brian Boldizar did not immediately return a message left for him. He told Philly.com last week that he was unaware of any warrants for D'Amico and authorities usually check for warrants before executing a search warrant.

The couple has defended their actions in interviews, saying on "Megyn Kelly Today" that they spent as much as $250,000 on Bobbitt, buying him a trailer to stay in and a truck, but that he blew any cash they gave him on drugs.

Bobbitt admitted he struggles with addiction but said the couple, whom he previously believed were his friends, sold the trailer and the truck and left him homeless and hungry with nothing to show for it.

- Jersey Journal Reporter Terrence T. McDonald contributed to this story.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Monmouth County Democrats Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey have introduced a measure to delay collection agencies from becoming involved in healthcare expenses.

The medical care that saves your life should not also wipe out your savings and send you into bankruptcy.

But that's the reality in our state today, where one in five residents reported owing money to healthcare facilities in 2015.

The figure comes from the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan agency which focuses on economic and social policy research, which says the outlook nationwide that year was even grimmer: More than half of us were carrying that onerous burden.

Now two members of the New Jersey Assembly are proposing a way to help us dig out.

Monmouth County Democrats Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey have introduced a measure to delay collection agencies from becoming involved in healthcare expenses, by requiring medical providers to craft reasonable and affordable payment plans with patients first.

Slammed by a medical bills? Many in N.J. feel your pain.

The bill is also designed to protect disabled residents with unpaid bills, as well as families of patients who die before their debts are paid.

The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee is considering the legislation, which would mandate that hospitals and providers wait at least 90 days or three months before turning unpaid claims over to a collection agency.

Once a collection agency becomes involved, the charges can ultimately affect a patient's credit report.

Rather than going that route, hospitals would be required to give patients the option of working out a long-term payment plan, based on their income. In return, patients would agree to make monthly payments until the bills are paid off.

Those payments would not go beyond 15 percent of their discretionary income.

Additionally, any unpaid debt - including interest - for patients who become disabled either temporarily or permanent would be cancelled. The same goes for patients who die before their debt is paid.

Hospitals and medical practices are not likely to welcome these moves with open arms, but we see them as a needed step to protect Garden State residents struggling to stay afloat after illness or accident takes its financial toll.

Nor do we see the measure as a magic pill that will cure all that is ailing our-than-perfect medical-delivery system. That clearly won't happen until the country joins the civilized world in recognizing that a single-payer system is the fairest and sanest policy to pursue.

But until that day comes, stopgap measures such as the ones Houghtaling and Downey are offering represent a sane way to help make the existing structure work for us, rather than against us.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

What's on the menu in New Jersey? Everything!

Last winter, while out for a drive, I took my wife to White Rose Hamburgers in Highland Park.

 

More properly, to "The White Rose System." Which, according to nj.com's Pete Genovese, "opened in 1956 or 1958 - let's say sometime in the 50s, because even the guys who work there are not sure."

The White Rose is one of the countless food spots in New Jersey that prides itself on being different. It's NOT White Tower, and it's not White Castle. My brother made regular runs there from Rutgers for French fries in the early '70s, and it hasn't changed much since ... a good thing. The food is good and plentiful and the ambience is nothing fancy. We both absolutely enjoyed our take-out burgers.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

New Jersey is home to hundreds of unique places just like the White Rose as well as pretty much every fast food chain that's come down the pike since highways got people traveling. If you had a taste for just about anything, you've never had to go far in the Garden State to get it.

Here's a gallery of vintage photos showing a variety of eateries in New Jersey. And here are links to some other galleries you'll enjoy.

Vintage photos of foods for every taste in N.J.

Vintage photos of eclectic eats in N.J.

Vintage photos of diners in N.J.

Greg Hatala may be reached at greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

See the first regular-season edition of the boys soccer Top 20.

Which girls have already given their verbal commit to play girls soccer.

Which players have made an impact early in the season?

While his brother was being investigated, man posted online that police "better bring body bags" if they encountered him again

A man whose brother was recently arrested for attempting to lure a 14-year-old boy for sex is now facing his own charges after he made threatening Facebook posts about the officers conducting the investigation, authorities say.

Michael Coleman (Police photo) 

Michael Coleman, 61, of Little River, South Carolina was in the Trenton area last week when his brother's Burlington County home was searched in connection with an investigation by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.

The brother, Joseph Coleman, 54, of Bordentown Township, was arrested in a Robbinsville park, where authorities allege he arrived to have sex with a teen, who turned out to be a detective. He was charged with luring of a child and attempting to engage in an act of sexual penetration with a child.

The Mercer prosecutor's office said Michael Coleman posted this threat on his Facebook page shortly after the search of his brother's home:

"...They notified me they locked up my brother at 3:15 pm in Robbinsville. As of 12:00 am still no word from him...Cop or no cop. Glad I wasn't carrying cause I'm sure I would have had capped one of those over steroids piece of s--ts out. Yes one of you were very lucky I wasn't armed I would have protected my life, my mom's life and her property and got away with it cause it wasn't done by the book...Cops ever roll in on me again like they did today! You better bring body bags cause people will die...So if your not going to do it right then neither shall I." 

Authorities investigated the posting and charged Michael Coleman with threatening law enforcement, prosecutors said. He was arrested Thursday morning in Hamilton, and charged with third-degree terroristic threats and fourth-degree harassment.

Michael Coleman identifies himself on Facebook as a retired New Jersey state Department of Corrections officer.

It's unclear why exactly why he was in New Jersey last week. The town where he lives in South Carolina is an area predicted to be hit by Hurricane Florence. 

He is scheduled to appear in Mercer County Superior Court Friday. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross 

Trenton Thunder bat dog Rookie still has work to do. Watch video

The Trenton Thunder's season may be over but unlike the players, Trenton Thunder bat dog Rookie still has to go to work.

Last Friday, the Thunder were swept out of the Eastern League Division Series, falling to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in game 3.

But on Thursday afternoon, Rookie was caught hopping into the back of an SUV belonging to Thunder K9 Supervisor Eric Lipsman, the club's senior vice president of corporate sales & sponsorships.

Rookie gets ready to hit the road with Lipsman Sept. 13, 2018. (Michael Mancuso | NJ.com) 

They were headed to Scranton, Pa. where the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders continue the best-of-five Governors' Cup Championship Series with the Durham Bulls, at PNC Field there. 

Once there, he has some pre-game social duties. "He'll hang with the players. Most of them are former Thunder players. They all play with him, throw a ball around, have a great time," Lipsman said.

But being a celebrity bat dog isn't all fun and games. He'll also have work to do.

Lipsman adds, "And if the field is dry enough, he'll do the normal thing and get the bats in the first inning."

Rookie retrieves a bat during a game at Arm and Hammer Park in Trenton on June 19, 2018. (Phil McAuliffe for the Times of Trenton) 

And he won't be done yet.

"After that's over we'll take him on the concourse and we'll hand out his baseball cards and do a meet and greet," Lipsman said.

Unlike many other "stars" fame hasn't changed this top dog. 

Rookie will always graciously pose for pictures with anyone who asks and accept gentle pets from adoring fans, although good luck trying to get his autograph.

Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso

The event benefits the Trenton organization One Simple Wish

Trenton Country Club is hosting a "Community Weekend" starting Friday that will benefit One Simple Wish, a Trenton organization that aids children in foster care.

Events on Saturday and Sunday, which include golf and tennis tournaments, are only open to members.

But the weekend kicks off Friday evening with a cocktail hour that is open to the community - a $20 donation is requested.

At the event, One Simple Wish founder Danielle Gletow will speak about the nonprofit, and attendees can buy tickets for a "tricky tray" gift basket raffle, and grant foster childrens' wishes on a "wish tree."

More information about One Wimple Wish can be found here, and the Trenton Country Club here.

Anyone needing information about the Friday night event, which starts at 6 p.m., can contact or RSVP to Tim Holmes at tholmes@trentoncc.com.

The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice sees apprenticeships as a way to build a skilled workforce.

A non-profit organization working to improve the state's urban communities says it's found a key to economic prosperity in a tried-and-true labor arrangement that's been with us for generations.

The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice sees apprenticeships as a way to build a skilled workforce while putting women and minorities on an even playing field with other job applicants.

The approach has much to recommend it, especially for unemployed workers who continue to struggle in the long shadow of the 2008 recession.

In a stroke of cosmic good timing, the institute issued a report extolling the virtues of apprentice programs at the same time Gov. Phil Murphy has launched such an initiative through the state's Department of Labor.

The $10 million program, designed among other things to urge students to consider careers that require on-the-job training, will establish a new apprenticeship network as a way to give participants a path out of poverty.

The beauty of apprentice programs is that they provide first-hand knowledge of how an industry operates, in essence enabling participants to earn as they learn while also checking out whether this particular field is a good fit.

In N.J., these 95 jobs will make you more than $100,000

While you start putting your new-found skills into practice, someone is nearby to help you master the workplace culture and answer your questions. While you're racking up valuable experience, you're also seeing through an insider's eye what it's like to work day to day in your chosen field.

The financial benefits are considerable.

According to the federal Department of Labor, the average wage for proficient workers who complete an apprenticeship is $50,000. Moreover, "graduates" of such programs earn approximately $300,000 more over the course of their careers than their non-apprenticeship peers.

On the employer's end, apprenticeship programs help build a deep bench of skilled workers, addressing a legitimate complaint by employers in the Garden State that they can't find trained workers to fill vacant positions.

The report by the Newark-based social-justice organization calls on the state not only to create new apprentice programs within our schools - perhaps as early as the middle-school level - but also to offer tax incentives to companies that hire apprentices.

Such an incentive program, the researchers suggest, would offer businesses a $1,000 tax credit for each apprentice they employ, with more going to veterans and others who are under-represented in a specific field.

Connecticut, Virginia, Nevada and Maryland are among almost a dozen states already opting in to such arrangements.

We can't think of many New Jersey industries that wouldn't benefit from jumping on the apprentice bandwagon.

Employers, meet your next generation of qualified machinists, information technology specialists, health-care providers, manufacturing workers. They know the ropes, their skills are honed, and they're raring to go.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Check out the NJ high school sports staff's bold predictions for Week 2 of the football season.

The judge says he's a 'danger' to the community. He and the other suspect were also indicted recently Watch video

Davone White, one of two men charged in the Art All Night shooting that wounded or injured nearly 30 people in Trenton this summer, hobbled in to court with his right arm in a sling Friday afternoon.

He spent considerable time in a hospital and medical facilities recovering from being shot by a Trenton police officer at the scene of the June 17 shootout that garnered national headlines.

His lawyer, Christopher Olsen, said his client is in considerable pain, is significantly weakened by his injuries, and is a "danger to nobody." He fought to have him set free from the Mercer County jail pending trial.

A judge denied the request.

White is a danger to the community, he brought a gun to a public art event attended by hundreds, and may have fired it, Judge Anthony Massi said in detaining White, 27.

Massi, after reading through the allegations, and considering White's criminal record of felonies and failure to appear in court, said White and his alleged actions, were "clearly a danger."

White and the other suspect, Amir Armstrong, 24, were coincidentally indicted Thursday, a development announced early Friday by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.

Armstrong was indicted on a firearm possession charge and a count of receiving stolen property. He was ordered detained at a hearing last month.

White was indicted on six firearm-related crimes, including two counts of fourth-degree aggravated assault and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Both men were wounded at the festival, White by a Trenton police officer. Authorities have not said how Armstrong was wounded.

Another man, Tahaij Wells, 32, of Trenton, was shot dead during what officials say was an exchange of gunfire with arriving Trenton police officers.

Senior Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor Heather Hadley said while ballistics in the investigation are pending, the office has evidence that White fired his gun before allegedly aiming it at a police officer.

Hadley detailed that interaction in court Friday, saying Trenton Detective Eliezer Ramos arrived to assist Trenton officers already working at the festival and pulled his gun when they heard gunshots ring out.

Bloody aftermath of art festival shootout captured on police video

Ramos saw a male, later identified as White, running with a handgun in the "low ready" position. The male reacted to Ramos' commands by pointing the firearm at him, and Ramos fired until the man was down and no longer a threat, Hadley said.

Police found a gun near White and detained him, she said.

Olsen, in the courtroom hallway after the hearing, said White's position is that the officer shot him from behind.

The defense attorney said he will appeal, on medical grounds, Massi's decision to detain his client.

Olsen said in court White's not a flight risk either, and needs considerable assistance to physically move around. "He's not going anywhere," Olsen said.

Massi had said there was nothing in the court record that detailed White's medical conditions.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Eric Rue lived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and was a regular at a city bar a block from where he was killed

The slaying of a Pennsylvania man in Trenton on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend was caught on tape.

And detectives later tracked down footage of the accused killer in a bar near the crime scene where the victim was a regular.

Mycol Beckett is charged with murder and gun charges for the Sept. 1 shooting death of Eric Rue, 34 of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Mercer County authorities announced last week.

Mycol Beckett (police photo) 

On Friday, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office made public the probable cause affidavit supporting the charges against Beckett, 29, of Trenton. (He was scheduled to appear in Superior Court Friday, for a detention hearing, but it was moved to next week.)

Police found Rue behind the wheel of his car at the corner of Morris and Commonwealth avenues at about 8 a.m. He'd been shot multiple times.

In the affidavit, written by Detective Scott Rich, detectives found several surveillance systems in the area which captured a man they say is Beckett, and the crime.

They believe Rue was shot at about 6:20 a.m.

In a piece of footage, a male with long black dreadlocks and clad in a dark colored shirt, dark sweatpants with a yellow stripe along the pant leg, and black and white sneakers, is dropped off about a block away, at Chambers Street and Morris Avenue.

The man walks to the front passenger door of the victim's vehicle, parked under a tree on Morris, and leans on the front passenger door, the affidavit says.

The man appears to engage the victim in a conversation for approximately 60 seconds. Then the man shoots Rue through the front passenger window, which was partially opened, the affidavit says.

The shooter then ran to a dark gray Volvo sedan parked on the other side of Morris Avenue and speeds away toward Bert Avenue.

From Rue's family members, they learn he is a regular at Championship bar a block away on Chambers Street. And when he would go to a bar, he would often sleep in his car until the next day, the affidavit says.

Felon accused of shooting teen last year charged in Trenton killing

Detectives learned from Trenton police Sgt. Jason Astbury that officers responded to a disturbance at Championship earlier in the night of the shooting.

And looking at bar surveillance footage, detectives see a man they say if Beckett - wearing a dark shirt, dark pants with a yellow stripe along the pant leg and black and white sneakers - enter the bar at 12:08 a.m. with others. At about 12:33 a.m., the man gets into fight and is removed by bouncers, the affidavit says.

Task force Detective Sgt. Anthony Manzo then finds a tipster who sends a picture of the man in the bar, and task force Detective Jessica Senese "immediately" recognized him as Beckett from prior dealings with him as a Trenton officer, the affidavit says.

A combing police records show that two Trenton cops pulled Beckett over on Aug. 28 of the year, so detectives pull the officer's body-worn cameras.

It's Beckett, and he's driving a dark gray 2006 Volvo. And he's wearing, "the same black and white sneakers and the same dark sweatpants with yellow stripe as the suspect is wearing at the time of the shooting incident and inside the Championship (bar)," Rich wrote in the affidavit.

A witness later identified Beckett as being in the Championship bar, getting into a fight  and getting bounced out.

The affidavit does not say if detectives found footage of Rue in the bar, nor does is offer any motive or theories as to why Beckett allegedly killed him after speaking with him for a minute.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Week 2 in NJ football produces a landslide of memorable moments across the state

The shooting happened in North Trenton on Friday night.

A shooting in North Trenton Friday night left one man dead and another man injured, authorities said. 

City police responded to the 600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after receiving a report of a shooting.

Officers found two men who were shot at 15-19 Bond Street, prosecutors said. The victims were transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.

One man died and the other was treated for an injury that was not life-threatening, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said more information would be released as it becomes available.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

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The robbery occurred Friday afternoon in Hamilton Township.

John Drager Jr. (Hamilton Twp. Police)
 

A man allegedly robbed a Hamilton Township resident at knifepoint as the victim was doing yard work on Friday afternoon.

The suspect, identified as John Drager Jr., 41, wore a black mask when he approached the victim on Iorio Drive in Yardville around 2:15 p.m., township police said.

He allegedly displayed a knife and forced the resident back into his home where he demanded money and jewelry.

The victim provided money and the robber ran from the area.

Responding officers located Drager a short distance away and took him into custody.

He's charged with robbery, kidnapping, weapons offenses and obstruction, police said.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact police at 609-581-4035 or the Hamilton Police Crime Tip Hotline at 609-581-4008.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

The Citizens rolled past Fulham 3-0. They were up a goal in the second minute from Sane, while Silva (21') and Sterling (47') scored also.

One of the top players at the 2018 World Cup has Chelsea firing on all cylinders to start the 2018-19 Premier League campaign, while Eddie Howe's AFC Bournemouth squad join Watford in the top five, after the Cherries pushed four past Leicester City.

Watford lost its first game of the new season, but still have 12 points from five matches.

The return of Wilfried Zaha was just enough to lead Crystal Palace past a Huddersfield Town side that looks like it will be in a relegation scrap all season. Will Newcastle United, which played Arsenal tough but lost its fourth in five, join the Terriers in the battle at the bottom?

RESULTS

Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool

Bournemouth 4-2 Leicester City 

Chelsea 4-1 Cardiff City

Huddersfield Town 0-1 Crystal Palace

Manchester City 3-0 Fulham

Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal

Watford 1-2 Manchester United

SATURDAY'S THREE STARS

Ryan Fraser, Bournemouth

The high-flying Cherries have another win under their belts, thanks to Fraser. He had a brace, and an assist, in the 4-2 win over Leicester City. Fraser was the Whoscrored.com Man of the Match with an 8.67 rating.

Eden Hazard, Chelsea

His hat-trick led Chelsea to a 4-1 win over Cardiff, and to the top of the table. Hazard scored the second perfect 10 rating of the season on Whoscored.com, and was the Man of the Match.

Chris Smalling, Manchester United

The oft-criticized center back came up huge for the Red Devils Saturday, as they knocked Watford from the unbeaten ranks. Smalling's goal before the break was the winner. He was the Whoscored.com Man of the Match with an 8.02 rating.

Watford wins fourth straight to start Premier League season

EDEN THE GREAT CONTINUES TO STAKE HIS CLAIM AS TOP PLAYER IN PL

Eden Hazard was arguable the top player at the 2018 World Cup (he was awarded the Silver Ball as the second best player behind Luka Modric), and his form has carried over to the start of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign.

Hazard now has five goals to lead the league, after his hat-trick sunk Cardiff, and led Chelsea to the top of the early table.

Can he keep this up for an entire season, and earn his second Premier League Player of the Year award?

MANCHESTER CITY WEEKLY PREMIER LEAGUE UNBEATEN WATCH

Did Manchester City lose this week?

No.

The Citizens rolled past Fulham 3-0. They were up a goal in the second minute from Leroy Sane, while David Silva (21') and Raheem Sterling (47') scored as well.

City takes on newly-promoted side Cardiff City next Saturday in Wales (10 a.m. EDT TV TBD). The Citizens sit third in the Premier League table, two points behind leaders Chelsea and second place Liverpool.

SUNDAY MATCHES

Wolverhampton vs. Burnley, 8:30 a.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

Everton vs. West Ham United, 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

MONDAY MATCH

Southampton vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, 3 p.m. (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR SUNDAY

The two teams that sit at the foot of the Premier League table take to the road, for tough matches against teams with Europa League aspirations.

Wolves will host Burnley in the early game, and the Wanderers will look to climb back into the top 10 with a win. The Clarets may have been hampered from their Europa League qualification games, but they are out of the competition. They sit on one point from four matches, a 0-0 draw opening weekend to Southampton, and have been leaking goals ever since. Burnley has allowed nine goals in its last three matches.

West Ham United may be the biggest disappointment of the early season. The Hammers have lost all four under new head coach Manuel Pellegrini, and have a tough game with Everton. But one look at their upcoming fixture list shows why this is such an important contest.

West Ham has to play Chelsea (H, Sunday 9/23, 8:30 a.m. EDT NBC Sports and Fubo.tv), Manchester United (H, Saturday 9/29, 7:30 a.m. EDT NBC Sports and Fubo.tv), and Tottenham (H, Saturday 10/20, 10 a.m. EDT), sandwiched between a Friday night trip to Brighton (A, 10/5, 3 p.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv).

A loss to Everton would add to the disastrous start for the Hammers. Can they get a result?

Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean His weekly podcast, Box to Box Football, can be found on iTunes here https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/box-to-box-football/id1208561351?mt=2

Johnny Bobbitt Jr., Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico have turned from fast friends to fierce foes over a GoFundMe campaign that went viral

By the summer of 2019, all the New Jersey state troopers you encounter will be wearing body cameras.

By this time next year, all the New Jersey state troopers you encounter will be wearing body cameras.

The welcome move provides the public with a better window into the behaviors of the men and women charged with protecting us. It also works both ways, protecting those troopers from unwarranted allegations of misconduct on the job.

Proponents of the devices, which have been growing in use since they were introduced in Rialto, California, six years ago, say they create transparency, promote accountability, and ultimately reduce violence.

More and more cops and administrators apparently are hearing the message: A study reported last December by the National Criminal Justice Reference Service found that one-third of the 18,000 law-enforcement agencies in the country have begun using the technology.

If dash cams were secret, here's what you wouldn't have seen

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that $1.5 million for the cameras will come from criminal forfeiture funds.

In this most densely populated state, thousands or even millions of encounters between the police and the public take place every year, the vast majority of them civil.

When they know their actions are going to be caught on camera, Grewal said, all parties tend to behave better.

"We invite the scrutiny," the state's top law-enforcement official said. "It is those out-of-context cellphone videos that sometimes paint a negative picture of an interaction."

Patrick Callahan, state police superintendent, said most of his troopers are comfortable with using the devices, welcoming the opportunity to show interactions from their perspective.

Clearly, body cameras are not the equivalent of a magic wand you can wave and make people trust their local police.

That will take a lot of bridge-building and sustained community outreach, as well as recruiting officers from the neighborhoods they are ultimately going to serve.

But the Police Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based research organization that works with police forces around the country, says the footage gathered from encounters on the street can serve as a valuable teaching tool to help both rookies and experienced cops understand what works - and what doesn't.

Body cameras "can be useful as diagnostic rather than prescription," notes a recent report issued by the non-profit. "They can show us where ingrained police behavior has gone awry. All the better that they produce public video that police forces and critics alike can observe and interrogate."

In the end, these devices are just one tool in the law-enforcement world's toolbox. As Callahan pointed out, everything depends on the person wearing that camera, and how well he or she has been trained to treat members of the public.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

His hat-trick has Chelsea at the top of the PL table after five matches, and he is once again making the case as the league's best player

What a difference a new season makes.

Burnley, which was one step from a UEFA Europa League group stage spot after its seventh place finish last campaign, now has just one point from five matches after another dismal showing Sunday.

The Clarets were dominated by newly-promoted Wolverhampton, which is the team this season that looks most likely to break into the top seven.

In the later match, West Ham United picked up its first win of the season, 3-1 over Everton. The Hammers jumped out of the relegation zone with the victory, and now sit just three points behind the Toffees in the table.

SATURDAY RESULTS

Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool

Bournemouth 4-2 Leicester City 

Chelsea 4-1 Cardiff City

Huddersfield Town 0-1 Crystal Palace

Manchester City 3-0 Fulham

Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal

Watford 1-2 Manchester United

SUNDAY RESULTS

Wolverhampton 1-0 Burnley

Everton 1-3 West Ham United

MONDAY SCHEDULE

Southampton vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, 3 p.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

SUNDAY'S TWO STARS

Raul Jimenez, Wolverhampton

The striker scored his second of the season in the 61st minute, and it was the winner as the Wanderers beat Burnley 1-0. He was the Whoscored.com Man of the Match with a 7.96 rating.

Marko Arnautovic, West Ham United

West Ham is finally in the win column, in large part due to Arnautovic and Andriy Yarmolenko. Arnautovic had a 61st minute goal, which restored the Hammers two-goal lead, and he had an assist on Yarmolenko's opener. He was the Whoscored.com Man of the Match with an 8.14 rating.

STAR OF THE WEEKEND

Eden Hazard, Chelsea

For the second week in a row, Eden Hazard is the Whoscored.com Player of the Weekend, with a perfect 10 score. His hat-trick has Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table after five matches, and he is once again making the case as the league's best player. He leads the league with five goals.

Eden Hazard hat-trick leads Chelsea to top of Premier League table

WEEKEND RECAP: BOURNEMOUTH, SMALLBAPPE, NEWCASTLE PROTESTS

Of course, Hazard's hat-trick leads the way.

But there were other performances that stood out this weekend.

Ryan Frazer had a brace and an assist, as Bournemouth continued to play well to start the new campaign. 

Manchester United center back Chris Smalling looked more like Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappe Saturday against Watford, chesting a ball down in the box and swiveling to score past Hornets' keeper Ben Foster.

Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil scored 10 minutes apart, as Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-1. But the story from the match is the continuing protests outside and inside the ground from the Magpie supporters, who have voiced their concerns again about Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley.

Newcastle has just one point from five matches, and the results on the pitch have to change quickly, or the protests could get worse.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE RETURN MIDWEEK

Those of you with Fubo.tv, TNT, and B/R Live will be busy this week, as the two UEFA competitions return midweek.

This season will see two time slots for each UEFA Champions League match day, 12:55 and 3 p.m. EDT.

Two English sides will be in action Tuesday and Wednesday. Tottenham will travel to the San Siro in Milan to take on Internazionale (12:55 p.m. Fubo.tv) Tuesday, while Liverpool will host PSG (3 p.m. TNT and Fubo.tv).

Both Manchester clubs will play Wednesday: City will host Lyon (3 p.m. Fubo.tv), and United will make a trip to the Wankdorf Stadium to play Young Boys (3 p.m. Fubo.tv)

In the Europa League Thursday, Chelsea will visit Stadio Toumba in Salonika against PAOK, while Arsenal will host Vorskla (3 p.m. B/R Live). 

PREDICTION

Both Manchester clubs win, City 4-0, United 3-2; PSG beats Liverpool 3-1; Tottenham draws Inter 1-1; Chelsea wins 5-0; Arsenal wins 2-0.

Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean His weekly podcast, Box to Box Football, can be found on iTunes here https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/box-to-box-football/id1208561351?mt=2