A Franklin Township police sergeant is facing criminal charges after allegedly ignoring multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots and screaming, only for the calls to precede a double murder.
On the evening of August 1 in Pittstown, New Jersey, residents called police about gunfire and loud yelling in the neighborhood. According to GPS data and surveillance footage presented in court, instead of responding directly, Kevin Bollaro drove to an ATM and later a nearby pizzeria.
Bollaro never checked the locations of the callers before leaving the scene.
The next day, the bodies of Lauren Semanchik, 33, and her boyfriend Tyler Webb, 29, were discovered in her home. The killings were carried out by Semanchik’s ex-boyfriend, a New Jersey State Police lieutenant Ricardo Santos, who took his own life following the homicide.
The victim’s family released a statement following the charges: “The Semanchik and Webb families are shocked at Sgt. Bollaro’s egregious conduct as charged by the Hunterdon County prosecutor. We believe this to be the tip of the iceberg of the many failures by the local and state police which will be uncovered and which led to the murders of Lauren and Tyler.”
Prosecutors allege the officer falsified his police report, claiming he had surveyed the area and could not locate the source of the screams or gunfire.
A timeline presented as evidence shows that Bollaro acknowledges the first call from dispatch at 7:08 p.m., but drove 1.5 miles in the opposite direction to an ATM where a transaction was made. Approximately five minutes later, a second 911 call was made by another resident, who reported gunshots and screaming. Bollaro reportedly acknowledged the call and drove to the scene without sirens or lights. Finally, a third call was made shortly before Bollaro arrived at the scene.
Prosecutors outline that Bollaro spoke to the first caller without activating his body cam, then requests to be cleared from the scene at 7:40 p.m. He never spoke to the second or third callers.
Bollaro now faces official misconduct and tampering with public records charges. He is set to appear in court in November.
The case raises serious questions about police accountability and emergency response procedures. Families of the victims have filed lawsuits against the local and state police, citing systemic failures that may have contributed to the tragedy. They argue a proper response could have prevented the murders.
As authorities continue to investigate the incident, they are emphasizing the importance of timely and accurate responses to 911 calls.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.