What to Know
- The family of a man who was shot and killed by Jersey City police is demanding answers as to why their loved one had to die after they called for help while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
- Police responded to the scene at an apartment complex on Randolph Avenue after Drew Washington's family called the Jersey City Medical Center's crisis center, who called police because they didn't feel the situation was safe.
- After talking with Washington through his front door for about an hour, the officers entered — which is when officials said he lunged at responding officers with a knife, prompting the officers to deploy a taser and a gun, killing him.
The family of a man who was shot and killed by Jersey City police is demanding answers as to why their loved one had to die after they called for help while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
Police responded to the scene at an apartment complex on Randolph Avenue Sunday afternoon after Drew Washington's family called the Jersey City Medical Center's crisis center — a team they were familiar with because they were worried the 52-year-old Washington, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, might hurt himself.
The next thing the family knew, their block was full of police officers in tactical gear.
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"I’m just in disbelief. I just can’t believe our medical call turned into a swat team killing," said Lisa Mendez, an aunt of Washington's. "We stood out here for hours talking to the police [and] paramedics saying ‘Please don’t hurt him.'"
Officials said that when the crisis team members responded, they called Jersey city police because they felt the situation wasn’t safe. After talking with Washington through his front door for about an hour, the officers entered — which is when officials said he lunged at responding officers with a knife, prompting the officers to deploy a taser and a gun, killing him.
"We want to be clear with the circumstances that while tragic we do feel that those police officers acted properly and we want the public to know that," said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who urged the state attorney general's office to quickly release body camera footage he says shows the officers' actions were justified.
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However, those who knew Washington said police escalated the situation.
"He says hi all the time. When he was off his meds, he started talking to himself. He didn’t go crazy," said neighbor Doris Tucker, who said she has lived across the street from Washington for more than a decade.
Tucker added that she's never worried about Washington being violent, and other neighbors agreed. One who did not wish to be identified said he "was a very nice neighbor, he never bothered nobody."
Washington's family feels that the system failed their loved one, and are now left wondering if they should have even tried to get him help in the first place.
"We should have left him alone. Left him crazy. We’re here now," said Mendez.
Jersey City Medical Center said that it "expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family" of Washington, but said because it is an open police investigation, they could not comment.
