HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Three years ago, a Hoboken father told the media he was angry after seeing a video from the Newport Mall in Jersey City in which Jersey City police apparently got into an altercation with his son.
After Leon Blake posted about the situation on social media, famed attorney Ben Crump was involved, Blake said.
Blake wrote on Facebook at the time, "I keep replaying it ... I'm sitting here in tears. These m----s had a gun on my son." He told News 12 his son Kalil, 16, had to be taken out of Hoboken High School and faced a court date on multiple charges.
Last week, according to news sources, the family filed a legal case against the Jersey City police.
Back in 2023, Blake said Kalil was heading to the mall on Sunday to meet a friend. He said that the police were responding to another situation and mistakenly got Kalil involved. Leon Blake said his son was knocked unconscious.
A Jersey City police spokeswoman said at the time that the incident was being investigated.
Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said at the time, "It is important to point out that as part of our increased training initiatives, the officers have undergone extensive training for these scenarios to ensure officers only use any type of force when it is absolutely necessary."
Kalil Blake acknowledged in media reports that he had a "small knife" on him, but said he wasn't using it.
Media reports last week said that the lawsuit said the incident left Kalil Blake, then 16, with long-term injuries.
Jersey City spokesman Nathaniel Steer said Tuesday that the city can't comment on legal cases.
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