By Kevin Carroll
The Times-Leader
COURTDALE, Pa. — Chris Matello is the borough’s police chief as well as a state corrections officer.
He’s now facing scrutiny at both jobs thanks to a controversial social media post, as well as calls from the NAACP for his ouster as Courtdale’s top cop.
Matello’s now-deleted Facebook post read: “Just start shooting … this will end quick! This is making me sick!”
That got him suspended without pay from his job as chief, borough solicitor Sam Sanguedolce confirmed.
Borough Council was made aware of the post, after which a committee made up of council members and Courtdale Mayor Dorothy Duesler convened and took action, Sanguedolce said.
Matello’s post was apparently in reference to the violence sweeping American cities, but Sanguedolce said the chief did not actually want anyone to be shot.
Susan McNaughton, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, confirmed that Matello is employed at SCI-Dallas, and that the allegations are under investigation.
Wilkes-Barre NAACP President Ron Felton isn’t happy with the explanations given.
“He’s in a position of leadership…his officers might not go out and do what he said, but he’s in a position of power and he needs to be held accountable as such,” Felton said Wednesday.
“The council was concerned with the content of the chief’s message, and took action,” Sanguedolce said. “The chief is serving out his disclipinary time now.”
DOC’s McNaughton told the Times Leader that the agency is “committed to taking whatever steps are appropriate at the conclusion of our investigation.”
Efforts to reach Matello for comment were unsuccessful on Wednesday, and the account from which the post could be made no longer appeared to be publicly visible.
This isn’t the first time that Matello has been the center of controversy in his career in law enforcement.
Matello made headlines in 1998 as an officer working for the neighboring Larksville Police Department. He was charged with making false alarms to agencies of public safety after allegedly falsly reporting to a 911 dispatcher that a helicopter en route to Larksville to transport a burn victim had crashed, and two occupants had died. He later clarified to the dispatcher that he was joking.
Matello was tried and acquitted on the charges, and resumed work as an officer for the borough.
Regarding the recent post, Sanguedolce said that Matello took full ownership of the post, and does not condone violence against protesters or against anyone.
Felton doesn’t believe that the discipline taken was sufficient.
“I think he should be fired,” Felton said.
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©2020 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)