Retired Atlantic City police officer kills himself after fatally shooting ex-girlfriend
Deptford Township NJ December 1 2022
A retired Atlantic City police officer fatally shot his ex-girlfriend before turning the gun on himself, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday night.
Deptford Township police were dispatched to the Ogden Road home of Erin A. Gatier, 47, for a welfare check about 6:50 p.m. Monday, where they found her and William W. Beattie, 47, of the Landisville section of Buena, dead inside, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Investigators determined Beattie forced his way into Gatier’s home, fatally shooting her before committing suicide, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
The Prosecutor’s Office is not commenting further on the case, Chief of Detectives Tom Gilbert said Wednesday.
An online fundraiser was started by Sasha Herrman. The goal is to raise $20,000 to help cover funeral costs and other expenses.
Matt Greenberg, a former co-worker of Gatier, remembered the mother of two for being personable with everyone.
“I didn’t know anyone that didn’t have good things to say about Erin,” said Greenberg, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, who began working with Gatier in 2015 while she was the regional marketing director for Catholic Health Group.
After she left the company, Greenberg said he kept in touch with Gatier while she was dating Beattie.
Born in Vineland in 1975, Beattie was raised in nearby Landisville, attending Buena Regional High School. He worked at Fibertech Nonwovens in Landisville before becoming a police officer in both Buena and Egg Harbor City, according to his obituary.
He joined the Atlantic City Police Department on the motorcycle unit but was forced to retire in February 2010 after an “accidental disability,” according to state records.
After retiring from police work, he was a member several organizations, including the recently dissolved Landisville Volunteer Fire Company, his obituary said.
Beattie was one of four city police officers accused of using excessive force during the arrest of a Toms River man in 2006. Gregory Ferrentino sued both Beattie and the department over the incident.
A federal grand jury hearing Ferrentino’s case in 2012 cleared Beattie and the other officers of wrongdoing. Ferrentino twice unsuccessfully appealed the verdict.
His appeals were dismissed due to “lack of jurisdiction,” according to court records.
Beattie’s last listed salary as an Atlantic City police officer was $94,296. He was making $5,438.19 in pension allowances from his retirement, state records say.
The local Policemen’s Benevolent Association and the Atlantic City Police Superior Officers Association sued the city on Beattie’s behalf in 2010, demanding he and two other officers be paid their retirement payout.
Greenberg remembered an unfriendly email exchange between Beattie and himself, in which the former officer told him to stay away from Gatier.
“She did admit to me that he was problematic, that he was a very controlling person and wouldn’t let her talk to anyone he thought might be sort of a threat to him,” Greenberg said. “It was an abusive relationship, not physically, but more mentally.”
Anyone with additional information about the murder-suicide can call Gloucester County Detective Brandon Cohen at 856-384-5524 or Deptford Township police Detective Robert Jones at 856-845-6300.
