After Overdose Death Of NJ Swim Coach, Passaic Co. Man Faces Liability Charge

PATERSON, NJ — A Paterson resident has been charged more than a year after the drug-induced death of a Bergen County man who was a local swim coach, officials said Friday.

Vashawn A. Davis, 28, was charged on July 29 with strict liability in a drug-induced death in connection with the overdose that killed Tyler Kallensee, 26, of Oradell, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

On Sunday, July 23, 2023, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Oradell Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious and unresponsive adult in a private residence, prosecutors said. The victim, Kallensee, was ultimately pronounced dead, and prosecutors said "indicators of a possible drug overdose were noted."

A year-long investigation by police and prosecutors "determined that the victim ingested suspected fentanyl, and it was revealed that Vashawn A. Davis distributed the fatal dose of narcotics to the victim causing his death."

Davis was already in custody at the Bergen County Jail for an unrelated criminal matter, prosecutors said. He was charged with first-degree strict liability in a drug induced death and third-degree distribution of fentanyl, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor's office has recently charged several men with strict liability in connection with the overdose deaths of Bergen County residents in private homes.

Last month, another Paterson man was charged in the overdose death of a 37-year-old Rochelle Park man who was mourned by co-workers as "a great leader."

Varsity Wrestler And Swim Coach

An obituary for Kallensee said that he "lost his battle with substance abuse addiction and passed away suddenly on July 23rd, 2023." It notes that he was an Eagle Scout who had served as a swim team coach for two seasons at the Oradell Swim Club.

"Tyler had a tight knit circle of friends from Oradell and River Edge and the additional support of a large group of friends in recovery in the New Brunswick area," notes the obituary. It also says he was a varsity wrestler for all four years in River Dell, "and was planning his next adventure 'Wellness Camping Trip' for September. We mourn him passing far too soon." Read his obituary here.

Patch's Caren Lissner contributed to this report.