Police: No evidence to support assault claim by Waterloo justice

On August 31, 2013, Acting Waterloo Village Justice Roger Barto claimed that he was assaulted by two persons as he exited the Village Municipal building after conducting a court arraignment. Barto alleged that he was strangled and was struck over the head with a porcelain toilet tank top that had been removed from the building as part of court renovations.A thorough investigation was conducted by the Village of Waterloo Police Department, the New York State Police, the Seneca County District Attorney’s Office and other State agencies with the assistance of expert medical authorities. As a result of that investigation, it has been determined that there is no credible evidence to substantiate Barto’s assault claim.On September 16, 2013, Barto stopped cooperating with the investigation and his attorney has prohibited the police fromquestioning his client.