George Floyd Family Attorney Hired By Black Teen In NJ Mall Fight

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has handled cases involving George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Breonna Taylor, has been retained by the family of a Black 8th grader handcuffed by Bridgewater Township Police following a mall fight.

Z’Kye Husain is one of two teens who were seen fighting on a viral video at the Bridgewater Commons mall. The video also shows township police officers kneeling on and handcuffing Husain while the white teen is left sitting on a couch. Read More: Cops Criticized After Stopping Teen Fight At Bridgewater Mall

"Z’Kye was defending a younger friend in the 7th grade who was being bullied by a much older 11th grader when this incident unfolded. Z’Kye, an 8th grader, was noble to defend his friend from bullies; however, it is evident that officers immediately assumed that because of the color of Z’Kye’s skin, him acting nobly was not even in the realm of possibility. That video says it all," said Crump in a statement.

"We are so thankful that Z’Kye made it out of this incident with his life. It is no secret that dealing with police in America is more dangerous for Black men – and teenagers – than it is for white men. Z’Kye was no more of a threat to those officers than the white teen who fought with him. This is another example of the kind of racial bias that we need to root out of our system of policing. These officers need to be reprimanded and retrained to overcome the implicit bias that results in unequal – and often dangerous – treatment of Black people," said Crump.

Since the video became viral Gov. Phil Murphy has 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, is now calling for the Bridgewater officers involved to be immediately removed from the police force pending an investigation.

The Bridgewater Police Department released a statement since receiving feedback from the community calling for an internal affairs investigation after the video began circulating.

"The Bridgewater Twp Police Department is aware of a video on social media of our officers stopping a fight in progress at the Bridgewater Commons Mall. We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation. The officers were able to respond quickly to this incident and stop it from escalating because of a tip we received from the community," said Captain Sean O'Neill.

The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office is helping Bridgewater with the investigation as they strictly adhere to the New Jersey Attorney General's Internal Affairs Directive. The SCPO has 45 days to complete the investigation. Read More: Murphy 'Disturbed' By Bridgewater Cops' Handling Of Mall Fight

When Patch asked for the status of the officers' Bridgewater Police referred the question to SCPO who declined to comment as a result of the investigation.

Somerset County officials have also released statements asking for answers as well.

"The video of the incident at the Bridgewater Mall is upsetting and that there must be a full investigation to uncover all the facts and deliver accountability," said Shanel Y. Robinson, who is the first African American to serve as the Commissioner Director of Somerset County.

"We as a community are being challenged, but I am convinced that we will rise to the challenge together," said Robinson. Read More: Bridgewater Mall Investigation Continues, Officials Want Answers

Bridgewater Councilman Filipe Pedroso released a statement on Thursday saying he like everyone else wants answers but asked the public to wait before casting judgment.

"I support our Constitution and that all people are innocent until proven guilty. And that we shouldn't pass judgment on people and make presumptive conclusions no matter the color, race, or employment of that person. Just because a person is Black does not mean he or she is a criminal. Just because the person is a white police officer does not mean he or she acted with racism," said Pedroso.

Bridgewater Township Mayor Matthew Moench also released a statement on Tuesday regarding the video.

"It is not appropriate for me or any other Township official to comment any further on the details of this incident while an investigation is ongoing, except to say that I am completely confident that the Prosecutor's review will be impartial, objective and thorough," said Moench.

He went on to "thank the public for its patience in refraining from jumping to conclusions while an investigation is pending."

"I also want to thank the brave men and women of the Bridgewater Police Department for their continued service, and for keeping our public safe in today's challenging environment," said Moench.

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