The conduct of Asbury Park police in the shooting death of Tamara Wilson-Seidle by her ex-husband, Neptune cop Philip Seidle, will be apart of the death investigation officials say. It will likely be reviewed by a government panel that includes at least two former Asbury police officers.
Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said that the lack of force by police to stop Neptune Police Sgt. Philip Seidle, who is charged with shooting his ex-wife while she sat in the car, will be part of the death investigation.
Policing experts have told the Asbury Park Press that deadly force could have been used to stop Philip Seidle once he decided not to put down his .40 caliber service weapon and allow emergency response workers to remove the wounded Wilson-Seidle from her car.
One concern is that the police will essentially be investigating themselves.
Robert Louden, a criminal justice professor at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, and former New York City police officer, told the Asbury Park Press it’s acceptable for police to investigate themselves and their colleagues only when there’s a thorough and completely level of review up the chain of command. Louden says once the investigation is complete, the public should be able to review the final report and also all the changes made to that report along the way.
“Is it an ideal situation? Not always. Is it something that’s automatically negative? Not necessary,” Louden said. “It depends on how the prosecutor structures the investigation.”
Police on the scene knew Philip Seidle, a 20+ year veteran on the Neptune police force, a neighboring town of Asbury Park.
Seidle, apparently upset about custody issues with the mother of his nine children following a recent divorce, chased down Wilson-Seidle’s Volkswagen Jetta on Ridge Avenue in Asbury Park, causing it to crash into a parked car, First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux has said.
Seidle gets out of his car and shoots a barrage of bullets into Wilson-Seidle’s car as their daughter sat in Philip Seidle’s car. After firing the first shots into his ex-wife, police were within gunshot range of Seidle as he moved to the front of the vehicle and fired four shots through the windshield, video of the incident showed. Seidle threatened suicide by putting the gun to his temple, but then surrendered about 20 minutes later.
Philip Seidle has been charged with first degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare his child.
