The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is investigating an incident where a Jersey City police officer fatally shot a mentally ill man.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
According to the preliminary investigation, at approximately 2:28 p.m. Sunday, Jersey City police officers responded to a home on Randolph Avenue in the area of Bramhall Avenue, after emergency medical services personnel requested the assistance of police.
One Jersey City police officer fired his service weapon and a male civilian was struck. The injured man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 4:47 p.m.
A 2019 law, P.L. 2019, c. 1, requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody.
The AG’s office declined to comment further, but family members told Pix 11 that the decedent is Andrew Jerome Washington, 52, who had been treated for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder for decades.
They said they called the Jersey City Medical Center Crisis Center, but were instead met by police.
Jersey City officials will hold a press conference in front of City Hall, 280 Grove St., at 10 a.m. to address the incident.
When I heard of the killing by cops, instantly i said, its a person with Mental health issues, I now see, I was again, right.Although family members cakked for a ambulance, police arrived. , not just any police, est, then they requested killer cops. . Where was the Ambulance,this was not a police matter, what treatment do they offer a person wuth severe mental health issyes.?? None, only one response from them has ever been the results, killing a person because they have a mental illness, so if a person, especially à Black Person has a mental health issue, theres only 2 ways police deal with that. They kill, or put in jail, à person wuth the issues this victim has. Its time for black people to have the same rughts as cops, Self Defense. If they can kill, then say, “OH, “I thought my life was in danger, they get away with cold blooded murder. Since black people are killed at a high rate by killer cops, they feel, their lives are at risk when approached by cops. They should have the right to kill when they feel their lives are in danger too. Why not?? Or, are their lives not as important as a person wearing a uniform, with a drivers license and also, a license to kill & to murder. Why not just collect all people with a mental illness, then shoot them, thats going to ve their fate anyway if they ever go into a crisis with their nmental health. Something has to change, but that change must come from the people being Murdered daily,not the police, what do you think their changes would be, exactly what we already have.