Investigators say law enforcement officers couldn't have prevented an off-duty Neptune Township police officer from killing his ex-wife last year in Asbury Park.
Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni on Thursday released the results of his investigation into the murder of Tamara Wilson-Seidle.
Neptune Township Sgt. Philip Seidle admitted chasing and gunning down Wilson-Seidle, his ex-wife, while their 7-year-old daughter was in his car in June 2015.
Police dash cam video released by the prosecutor shows two cars racing around a corner, followed by gunshots. Police officers were nearby at the time, responding to an unrelated traffic incident.
"Tamara was most likely killed within seconds to minutes of that first round of gunshots," Gramiccioni says.
Seidle fired his service weapon several times into her vehicle after the chase. Seidle's daughter ran from his vehicle to a nearby officer, and he put his service weapon to his head before firing again into Wilson-Seidle's car.
Gramiccioni said responding officers made an "appropriate" call not to shoot Seidle, citing that too many civilians were in the area at the time.
However the prosecutor does recommend that an Asbury Park police officer face discipline for failing to alert officers that they were arriving at a murder scene, instead of only a suicidal officer. Another police officer who left the scene should also face consequences, according to Gramiccioni.
Residents in the area near the shooting believe Seidle received preferential treatment because he was a police officer.
"They believe the cops aided the cop instead of the woman, that's what the community believes," says Mikal Jackson, of Asbury Park.
Seidle pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. He is expected to be sentenced in September.