HOWELL – The state grand jury has voted ‘no’ to filing charges against the Howell Township Police Officer who fatally shot a Farmingdale resident in 2019.
On October 18, 2019, Lt. Anthony DeMatteo of the Howell Township Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a stabbing at a home on Walnut Street in Farmingdale. When DeMatteo knocked on the front door, Charles Tsakiris, 38, of Farmingdale, opened the door with a knife in his hand.
According to the investigation, DeMatteo began to back away as Tsakiris advanced on him with the knife. DeMatteo gave repeated verbal commands asking Tsakiris to back up. When he did not comply with the commands and continued to advance toward DeMatteo, DeMatteo discharged his firearm and fatally wounded Tsakiris.
Several officers aided Tsakiris as well as emergency medical personnel. Tsakiris was pronounced dead at the scene at about 11:02 p.m. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.
Teresa Oshel, 40, who also resided at the house, was found deceased in a bathroom from stab wounds, police said. A third person at the residence, Jeffrey Tsakiris, 36, was taken to the hospital where he was treated for stab wounds and later released.
According to a 2019 law, the Attorney General’s Office is required to “conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody.”
After reviewing evidence, body camera footage and interviewing witnesses, the state grand jury found the actions of the officer were justified which resulted in their decision to decline any criminal charges against DeMatteo.
