‘We are taking 10 steps back.’ Family demands justice following deadly Elizabeth police shooting
Estiben “Stiven” Alegria-Hurtado, 42, died on July 30 one day after being shot by a police officer inside a home on Amity Street in Elizabeth.
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The family of an Elizabeth man is demanding justice after he was shot and killed by a police officer during an encounter.
Estiben “Stiven” Alegria-Hurtado, 42, died on July 30 one day after being shot inside a home on Amity Street in Elizabeth.
Alegria-Hurtado’s family held a news conference on Tuesday calling for an end to police brutality. They were joined by their attorney and activists.
Elizabeth police say they were called to the home on July 29 for reports of a dispute between Alegria-Hurtado and a female relative. Two officers arrived at the home sometime after 8 a.m. Witnesses say that the police officers didn’t knock and were in the home for just under two minutes before the gunfire occurred. They say one of the officers shot Alegria-Hurtado. Witnesses also said Alegria-Hurtado had a knife but wasn’t threatening anyone with it.
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The family is calling for transparency and for police body camera video to be released.
“We thought that we were giving away strides after George Floyd, but it seems like we are taking 10 steps back. It seems like the Elizabeth Police Department didn’t get the memo of what justice looks like…How to use non-lethal force and de-escalation tactics,” says civil rights leader Rev. Kevin McCall.
Leaders in the community say they have worked with the police on de-escalation training, and they feel that training wasn’t used.
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General is investigating.
