Dear Friend,

My name is Barbara Oldrati. I’m not a politician or an activist.

I’m just a mom — a proud mom — and I’m writing you with the most difficult, most heart-wrenching plea I’ve ever had to make.

Here’s a picture of me and my son – Officer Salvatore Oldrati — “Sal” to everyone who knows him. He’s facing years behind bars for doing exactly what he was trained to do: respond to a deadly threat, protect innocent lives, and make it home at the end of his shift.

Sal is a hero. He’s served his community in New Jersey for more than a decade. He’s been recognized as Officer of the Year. He’s received multiple lifesaving awards. And every day, he put on that badge knowing he might not make it home — but he did it anyway.

Then one day, everything changed.

Sal responded to a 911 call for a home invasion — a terrifying scene. Inside the home, he encountered a man wielding a weapon. The threat was immediate. The weapon was raised in Sal’s direction.

And in a split second — a moment that no mother ever wants to imagine — my son did what he was trained to do. He fired. He survived.

And for that, he’s now being treated like a criminal.

After the shooting, Sal was investigated — thoroughly. He was cleared. He returned to duty. In fact, he was even promoted. Everyone agreed he did what any trained officer would do in the same situation.

But that wasn’t the end.

Now, two years later, a radical new Attorney General has taken over — someone backed by far-left political interests, eager to make a statement against police officers. And Sal? He’s become their target.

The same office that cleared him is now trying to destroy him. They’ve charged him with manslaughter.

It’s not about justice — it’s about politics. It’s a hit job.

They want to turn Sal into an example. They want to send a chilling message to every officer in the state: do your job, defend yourself, and we’ll come after you anyway.

If this can happen to Sal — an honored, decorated officer — it can happen to anyone wearing a badge.

This is every law enforcement family’s nightmare. It’s mine.

Sal now faces a trial that could put him in prison for years. For doing his duty. For surviving. For choosing to live.

I can’t even describe the fear and anguish our family is living with. Every day, I watch the toll this takes on Sal. On his spirit. On his health. On all of us. And we’re trying so hard to hold on — but the legal fees are mounting. The emotional weight is unbearable.

We’re running out of time. And we cannot do this alone.

That’s why I’m begging you — mother to mother, citizen to citizen, human being to human being — will you help us? Will you help Sal fight back and defend the men and women who risk everything to keep us safe?

Please, if you believe in justice… if you believe in the rule of law… if you believe police officers deserve our support — I’m asking you to make a donation to Sal’s legal defense today.

Your gift could mean the difference between prison and freedom. Between despair and hope. Between injustice and the truth.

We don’t have time to spare. His trial is approaching fast, and the clock is ticking.

From the bottom of my heart — thank you for reading this. Thank you for caring. And thank you for standing with my son.

With deep gratitude,

Barbara Oldrati

The National Center for Police Defense is a 501c3 Charitable Institution. All Contributions are Tax-Deductible. 

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