During the early morning hours of September 14, 2021, Mantua Township Police responded to a 911 call reporting a burglary in progress involving two suspects. Dispatch reported that one suspect was attempting to enter a vehicle in the front yard while another was trying to access a shed in the backyard, and that one of the suspects was armed with a handgun. Corporal Robert Layton arrived first on the scene and was confronted by a man armed with a gun on the sidewalk near the front drive (later determined to be the caller/homeowner). At that point the armed man pointed the gun at Corporal Layton. Despite loud and clear verbal commands for the suspect to drop his weapon (as captured on 911 audio), the suspect refused to comply.
Corporal Oldrati was then confronted by the same man, who was now pointing the gun at him. At that point Corporal Oldrati had no other recourse but to make a split-second judgement call to stop the suspect’s threat in order to protect his own life along with Corporal Layton’s. Furthermore, a .45 caliber handgun was recovered next the body of the individual who pointed the gun at the officers. Corporal Oldrati than began life-saving measures on the suspect. He was transported to the local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Following the incident, a thorough investigation was conducted by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the New Jersey State Police Shooting Response Team in accordance with state policy. The investigation was completed, and Corporal Oldrati was cleared to return to duty in October 2021. His actions were found to be lawful and justifiable, in line with the Mantua Township Use of Force Policy.
In May 2023, twenty months after returning to full patrol duty—during which Corporal Oldrati was promoted and honored as Officer of the Year for a second time—he was wrongfully indicted and accused of 2nd Degree Reckless Manslaughter by the Attorney General’s office.
Despite OPIA’s authority to dismiss indictments lacking probable cause under their Standard Operating Procedure, Corporal Oldrati was indicted by a manipulated grand jury, with exculpatory evidence withheld during the presentation. Had there been any reasonable indication of recklessness or fault, he would not have been cleared to return to work or immediately arrested.
Officer Oldrati is a third generation Law Enforcement Officer and knew he wanted to be a police officer from the time he was 4 years old. Growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia I had many encounters with friends and family who were victims of violent crimes and wanted to be the person who could be called upon to protect the innocent and stop the evil. In his 10 year career, he received numerous awards including Meritorious Service, 2 Life Saving Awards, 3 Exemplary Performance Award, and 2019 Officer of the Year & 2022 Officer of the Year. He is a dedicated public servant and a dedicated husband, father, grandson, son, nephew, brother, cousin, and friend—and his community stands firmly behind him in this time of need.
His trial is now expected to extend into 2025. He is a great man and a great officer, and he needs our help to defend himself against these heinous unjust charges. Please consider donating to help him and his family during this nightmare- anything helps! Donations will go towards his family’s expenses and to cover his legal fees as he fights these wrongful charges.
