A New Jersey police officer has been charged with official misconduct after failing to respond to emergency calls about a shooting that turned out to be a double murder, instead stopping at an ATM and a pizzeria. The incident took place in early August last year. Sergeant Kevin Polaro, who was on duty, received a 911 call about the sound of gunshots and screaming in the Pittstown area, about 96 kilometers from Manhattan. However, an investigation, according to Prosecutor Rene Robson, revealed that Polaro did not go directly to the scene of the call. GPS data and surveillance footage showed that he drove about two miles in the opposite direction, first stopping at an ATM. During this time, the dispatch center received additional calls from concerned neighbors. Continuing to drive to different locations, Polaro did not activate his patrol car's emergency lights or sirens. When he finally arrived at the first caller's location, he radioed that he heard nothing and said he would go to other callers. The investigation revealed that the victims, 33-year-old Lauren Symanczyk and 29-year-old Tyler Webb, were shot and killed by New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Ricardo Santos, who later died by suicide. The victims' families expressed their 'profound shock at Sergeant Polaro's outrageous behavior.' After he left the scene, he was seen again, parking his car and entering another local restaurant, where he stayed for about an additional hour. The following day, the victims' bodies were found in a house located approximately 183 meters from the first emergency call location. Polaro faces an official misconduct charge and is scheduled to appear in court this month.
