Bridgewater May Pay $100K Settlement To Black Teen In Viral Mall Incident

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A $100,000 settlement between Bridgewater Township and the parents of a Black teen who was involved in the nationally viral mall incident may soon be finalized.

The township and Ebone and Jihad Husain, parents of Z’kye Husain, are scheduled to have a friendly conference on Jan. 30, 2024, before Judge Robert A. Ballard.

"A Friendly Hearing pursuant to New Jersey Court Rule 4:44 is a necessary prerequisite to settling matters of this type. The Township has engaged in discussions related to settlement and this hearing is the next steps in those discussions," Bridgewater Township Deputy Administrator Wells Winegar told Patch.

The hearing and settlement stem from a four-count lawsuit filed on Nov. 27 by Gregg L. Zeff of Zeff Law Firm in Mount Laurel, on behalf of the Husain family.

The lawsuit claims the Township's police officers involved in the Feb. 12, 2022, Bridgewater Commons incident discriminated against them by allowing their son, who was 14 at the time, "to be subjected to a hostile environment based on his race."

As a result of the discrimination, the family claims they "have suffered and will continue to suffer severe harm, and are entitled to all legal and equitable remedies available under the NJLAD, including, but not limited to, compensatory damages and punitive damages, in amounts to be determined at trial."

The lawsuit seeks $100,000 plus interest, costs, and attorney’s fees.

The Mall Incident

The incident went viral nationally when it was recorded by body-worn cameras and mall patrons outside Bloomingdale’s at the mall just after 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2022. Read More: Cops Criticized After Stopping Teen Fight At Bridgewater Mall

During the incident, Bridgewater Township police officers forced one juvenile, a 14-year-old Black boy (Husain), to the ground and handcuffed him, while a 15-year-old (Umar Joseph Franco), who is of Colombian and Pakistani heritage and who was perceived to be white, was placed on a chair and not handcuffed, according to the Attorney General.

The video was posted to social media and as a result, more than 1,000 complaints were received by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bridgewater Police Department, alleging discriminatory conduct based on race by the officers, according to the AG.

Both juveniles were later released to their parents, and no charges were filed against either child.

Following the release of the video, Murphy also previously said he was "deeply disturbed" by the video and the New Jersey chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization, had called for the Bridgewater officers involved to be immediately removed from the police force pending an investigation.

Several marches by activists were also held calling for justice for Husain.

The fate of the two officers involved - Adam Giurlando and Officer Brittany MacDonald - remains open.

Currently, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and Giurlando are in mediation to end an eight-month-long stalemate over the release of documents related to the Feb. 12, 2022 mall incident. Read More: Bridgewater Cop, Prosecutor To Begin Mediation Over Mall Investigation

Bridgewater Township is awaiting the outcome of the court ruling to determine if any disciplinary action will be taken against Giurlando and Officer Brittany MacDonald.

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