Family Of Summit Detective Who Was Killed Presented With Portrait

SUMMIT, NJ — The family of the late Summit Police Detective Matthew Tarentino was gifted a special tribute from the Department on Wednesday.

Joe Parisi of Sup Bro — an organization that assists the families of first responders who are injured or killed in the line of duty — and sponsor Adam Rempher, owner of Defalco's Towing in Chatham, presented Victoria Proctor and her children with a portrait of Tarentino who died in the line of duty five years ago.

The portrait was painted by artist Elle McCarthy, according to Summit Police. Captain Rick Proctor, Juvenile Detective Sean Thompson and Police Officer David Kotiga were also present on Wednesday.

Tarentino was killed in a car crash while en route to make a presentation at a local church on May 30, 2017. Another vehicle crossed the median and hit his patrol car head-on on I-78, near Liberty Corner Road.

The detective had served in law enforcement for six-and-a-half years. He had previously served with the South Bound Brook Police Department and Rutgers University Police Department. He was survived by his expectant wife and two sons. His daughter was born after his death.

According to Summit Police, Sup Bro was founded in 2019 by a group of New Jersey and Pennsylvania-based police officers. The organization donates 100 percent of their proceeds raised back to these families during their time of need.

You can learn more about the organization on their website https://supbro.org/.

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