Officer Who Fatally Shot Farmingdale Man In 2019 Won't Be Charged

FARMINGDALE, NJ — A state grand jury decided not to file any criminal charges on the officer who fatally shot a man in Farmingdale in October 2019, after police got a call of a reported stabbing.

Charles Tsakiris, 38, of Farmingdale, was pronounced at the scene and an autopsy found that he died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Office of the Attorney General.

Another resident, Teresa Oshel, 40, was also found dead in the bathroom, with multiple stab wounds, and a third person, Jeffrey Tsakiris, 36, was taken to the hospital where he was treated for stab wounds and later released.

After considering the facts, evidence, and testimony from the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) investigation, the state grand jury found the actions of the officer, Anthony DeMatteo of the Howell Township Police Department, were justified, Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said.

READ MORE: Farmingdale Police Shooting: Woman Found Dead In Home, AG Says

Evidence included video from a body-worn camera and the statement of a civilian witness, indicating that Tsakiris advanced at the officer with a knife.

The investigation also included other witness interviews, a collection of forensic evidence and autopsy results from the medical examiner.

According to the investigation, DeMatteo responded to the call of a reported stabbing at 10:45 p.m. on Oct. 18 2019. When he arrived at the house, the officer placed his medical bag on the front steps and knocked on the door.

Tsakiris opened the door with a knife in his hand and DeMatteo backed away as Tsakiris advanced on him with the knife. DeMatteo told Tsakiris to back up multiple times and when Tsakiris did not comply with the command, continuing to advance towards the officer, DeMatteo shot him, according to the Office of The Attorney General.

The grand jury concluded its deliberations on Monday and voted “no bill,” meaning a majority of grand jurors found the actions of the officer who shot Tsakiris were justified and no charges should be filed against him.

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Officers may use deadly force in New Jersey if they reasonably believe it is immediately necessary to protect themselves or another person from imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm, Bruck said.

According to a 2019 law, all fatal police encounters must be presented to a grand jury. Back in July, OPIA established standard operating procedures for Grand Jury presentations of fatal police encounter investigations.