Report: N.J. cop's alleged slaying of ex-wife not first time he pointed gun at her
ASBURY PARK, N.J. -- A recently divorced off-duty cop allegedly chased down his ex-wife with his car and then fatally shot her, reports CBS New York.
Phil and Tamara Seidle's 7-year-old daughter was in the front seat of the suspect's car at the time of the shooting, a representative of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office told 48 Hours' Crimesider. Phil Seidle, a Neptune Township, N.J., police sergeant, was arrested on first-degree murder and other charges.
Tuesday's alleged shooting wasn't the first time Philip Seidle pulled a gun on the mother of his nine children, according to a divorce complaint filed two years ago.
In that complaint obtained by the Asbury Park Press , Tamara Seidle alleged that her then-husband cocked a loaded gun and threatened her. She was pregnant at the time.
That, according to the divorce complaint, was after his behavior became "increasingly intense and hostile" when she discovered he cheated on her with another woman.
In Tuesday's deadly shooting, authorities said Phil Seidle, 51, was pursuing a car driven by his ex-wife shortly before 11:30 a.m. During the chase Tamara Seidle crashed into a parked car after turning a corner, according to police.
That's when Phil Seidle allegedly got out of his SUV and fired his .40-caliber Glock service weapon into his ex-wife's vehicle. Police officers who happened to be in the neighborhood for an unrelated traffic accident saw the shooting unfold and took the child from her father's car. The girl apparently was not injured.
In raw video shot by a witness and posted to the website of The Asbury Park Press, a man in a peach-collared shirt can be seen pacing in front of a crashed vehicle. Two shots ring out, and after a six-second pause, another two shots can be heard. The paper reports the first set of shots were fired through the driver's side door, and the second pair were through the windshield.
Another witness told CBS New York that before the shooting, there "was a lot of yelling between (the suspect) and the police."
"He was saying he was tired of going to court for child support. After that, he shot the lady through the car three times," the witness said.
After the shooting, prosecutors said Phil Seidle pointed the gun at his head and held police at bay for about 30 minutes until they were able to persuade him to surrender. He was then taken into custody.
Tamara Seidle, also 51, was taken to a hospital, where she died a short time later. No other injuries were reported in the shooting.
The couple divorced last month and have nine children together between the ages of 7 and 24.
Phil Seidle has served on the Neptune Township police force for 22 years. Neptune Township resident Dianna Harris told the Asbury Park Press that Seidle was a popular officer.
"He was a well-respected cop in the area," Harris said. "Nobody knows what triggered this, and that's what makes it so sad."