The family of the late Andrew Washington held a press conference condemning the recent decision by a New Jersey grand jury not to charge the officer who fatally shot him, also vowing to continue their civil lawsuit against the city and police department.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
“We will prove that these officers violated Drew’s constitutional rights in multiple ways when they shot and killed him when he was in the midst of a mental health episode,” attorney Amelia Green declared.
“Drew’s death is the result of ongoing systemic failures by the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) in its interactions with those with mental health disabilities. The grand jury’s decision only makes the family’s civil rights lawsuit all the more important in holding the Jersey City Police Department accountable for Drew’s death.”
Green also contended that the police officers violated Washington’s rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Americans with Disability Act.
“We are even more reinvigorated than ever to get justice for Drew,” she added.
Her remarks echoed what she said after a New Jersey grand jury issued a no bill for Jersey City Police Officer Stephan Gigante, determining he did not commit any wrongdoing after reviewing evidence that included police body camera footage, ballistics, and more, as HCV first reported.
“Drew was not a threat to the public. He was a 52-year-old Black man experiencing a psychotic emergency due to bipolar disorder,” Washington’s aunt, Doris Toni Ervin, said.
“… We called for medical help … Our pleas were met with silence, and our loved one was met with force.”
She said the JCPD deployed a unit similar to SWAT teams that escalated the situation (their Emergency Services Unit).
“We were there asking them not to go in with force. They forced entry. One officer tased Drew. And within a moment, Officer Gigante fired the shot that killed and took his life,” Ervin said.
She said it was not an isolated incident, declaring it a symptom “of deep rooted violent system, one that criminalizes Black bodies.”
Despite what the grand jury determined, Ervin also expressed frustration for Mayor Steven Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea defending the officers actions the day after the incident occurred.
Ervin also said this could have been avoided in the New Jersey Attorney General’s ARRIVE Together program, announced in Jersey City this past October, as well as noting that Shea received a vote of no confidence from the city council in March.
“However, he still remains in office. Drew should be alive today. Justice for Drew,” Ervin said.
“Justice for Drew!” the crowd chanted.
Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational Gilmore and Hudson County Anti-Violence Coalition Executive Director Pam Johnson, also a Ward A council candidate, also weighed in.
“First and foremost, my condolences to the family. We’re not pleased with the outcome of the jury. The director of Public Safety spoke out of turn, with them saying the shooting was justified,” exclaimed Gilmore.
“This is what happens when you dehumanize a certain segment of the population. It’s an epic fail of the administration to not make this a priority.”
Washington’s killing came on the heels of Paterson police officers fatally shooting community-based violence interventionist Najee Seabrooks under similar circumstances.
This led to the state establishing the Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Crisis Response Act, which funds pilot program for community-based violence intervention programs.
“The fight that my parents and grandparents went through, here we are going on to fight more. And my kids will continue to fight, and then my grandchildren. The fight will never end,” Johnson stated, noting that her organization received a $2 million grant but have yet to receive a dollar.
“It is a brand new department, I have been very impressed with the AG … We’re going to respond. But we can respond better if we had the funds. We’re still lacking a therapeutic type of person to be with us.”
Zayid Muhammad, of New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing (NJCAP), joined the chorus of activists calling for accountability.
“The City of Jersey City and the Jersey City Medical Center should also be held accountable for not putting to use monies that they already had set aside to develop the services that would have helped Drew,” he exclaimed.
He noted they’re part of a larger state coalition that has been pushing the state legislature on funding mental health responses, while Ervin reminded everyone to vote in the non-partisan Jersey City municipal elections on November 4th.
