Officer Indicted For Fatally Shooting Homeowner Who Had Called 911 To Report Intruders

A New Jersey police officer was indicted for manslaughter this week after he allegedly shot and killed a man who had called 911 to report a burglary attempt at his home, according to a press release from the state's attorney general.

On an early morning in September 2021, Salvatore Oldrati of the Mantua Township Police Department responded to a call from 49-year-old Charles Sharp who said he had seen two armed burglars in his backyard.

Another officer arrived on the scene first and saw Sharp standing on the front porch, still on the phone with 911 operators. As Oldrati arrived, his partner reportedly yelled "He's got a handgun on him, right there."

Oldrati then fired at Sharp multiple times, fatally wounding him, according to the AG's statement. A replica .45-caliber gun was found near Sharp, but he was carrying no other weapons.

Five seconds elapsed from the moment Oldrati stepped out of his vehicle to the moment he began shooting, according to Thomas Eicher of New Jersey's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. "Officer Oldrati gave no verbal commands or warning before shooting Mr. Sharp," Eicher said in a statement.

A grand jury, which reviewed Sharp's 911 call and Oldrati's body camera footage, found there was enough evidence to indict Oldrati on one count of manslaughter. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

Sharp was a veteran who had served in the Air Force for more than 20 years, the New York Times reported.