‘Najee Seabrooks should be alive.’ Community activists react to decision not to charge Paterson officers in fatal shooting
The sequence of events leading to the 2023 shooting changed the way law enforcement handles crisis responses.
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March 3 marked two years since community activist Najee Seabrooks was shot and killed by Paterson police officers.
The sequence of events leading to that shooting changed the way law enforcement handles crisis responses.
A state grand jury voted on Monday not to file criminal charges against Anzore Tsay and Jose Hernandez, the police officers involved in that shooting.
The grand jury was presented with hours of video footage, witness interviews, photographs, ballistics reports and autopsy results as evidence after an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
The standoff between Seabrooks and police was nearly five hours long.
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According to the report, crisis negotiators stepped in after Seabrooks broke a water pipe, started a fire and threw things, injuring two officers.
Body cam footage shows Seabrooks finally exiting the bathroom with a knife, and that’s when officers opened fire.
Activists like Lawrence Hamm, of The People’s Organization for Progress, reacted to the grand jury’s decision.
"Although I’m hurt and outraged, I’m not surprised because more than not the police are not held accountable. They kill and face no consequences,” Hamm said.
The ACLU-NJ also issued a statement following the decision.
Executive director Amol Sinha wrote in part, “Najee Seabrooks should be alive today. We’re deeply disappointed that no police officer will be held accountable for his killing in a court of law.”
The shooting set a precedent for how law enforcement across the state responds to crisis calls. It also led to the state takeover of the Paterson Police Department by Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office.
Mayor Andre Sayegh said Tuesday that members of law enforcement met with local clergy, activists and other key stakeholders about the grand jury’s decision. The mayor said that people considering organizing protests regarding the decision can do so, as long as it remains peaceful.
