Police Acted Properly When They Shot Jersey City Man With Mental Health Issues, City Says

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City officials are defending the actions of a police officer who fatally shot a man on Sunday whom family members say was having a mental health crisis.

Late Monday night, the Attorney General's Office released more details of the shooting.

The AG is investigating the shooting of Andrew Jerome Washington, 52, at his home in the Bergen-Lafayette section of the city on Sunday.

The officer who shot him is Stephen Gigante, the AG's Office said Monday night.

At approximately 2:28 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a home on Randolph Avenue after emergency medical services personnel requested the assistance of police, the Attorney General's Office said.

One Jersey City police officer shot Washington. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead at approximately 4:47 p.m.

Family And Neighbors Ask Questions, Hold Vigil

Washington's family told news outlets that they had called Jersey City Medical Center for help because Washington was bipolar and was having a mental health crisis. In fact, they said, he had been released from the hospital a week earlier, but they were worried that he had been released too soon and might hurt himself.

So they called the place he had been treated, hoping for more help.

They said they thought police would bring him out of the house safely, but the tenor of the confrontation suddenly changed.

Community members have been asking questions as well. A vigil was held in. his neighborhood on Tuesday.

On Monday morning, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and public safety officials had a press conference, saying that Washington had come out with a knife.

“Mr. Washington was sick," said Public Safety Director James Shea. "He was acting erratic and making threats. He’s not bad man, but that does not make him any less dangerous to the public or to our officers."

The story has similarities to others that have occurred recently, prompting police departments to receive training for handling a mental health crisis. Earlier this year, police in Old Bridge fatally shot a young man after, according to the man's father, relatives called for help.

The city released the following statements:

Statements From Jersey City

EMTs felt unsafe and called police to the location to assist an ambulance with a violent and emotionally disturbed person. Upon arrival, the JCPD’s ESU officers spent an hour repeatedly working to de-escalate the situation. The responding officers did not enter the apartment. They opened the door to make sure the male and anyone else inside the residence were not injured or in danger. He came out and charged at the officers wielding a knife, at which time the officers deployed a taser and a firearm.

The JCPD’s Emergency Services Unit (ESU) is a highly specialized unit with police officers who have received comprehensive training from NYPD and JCPD in de-escalation, dealing with people in emotional crisis, use of force, and the like. For some additional context, just this month there have been at least 7 calls for service to his residence.

Additionally, of the nearly 2,000 calls that ESU responded to last year, only 3 people involved reported any type of injury as the officers’ training and conduct have been successful in de-escalating a wide-range of incidents in dealing with emotionally disturbed individuals.

Further Investigation

“We urge the Attorney General to immediately release video from the responding officers’ body-worn cameras in order to stop the misinformation and distrust already being spread online stemming from yesterday’s incident," Mayor Fulop said. "If you look at the video from the incident you will be hard pressed to say the trained ESU officers should have taken a different approach. There is no question that this s a tragedy because someone lost their life. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones.”

A 2019 state law requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of any person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer. The results of the investigation will be presented to a grand jury.

Attorney General Statement

The Attorney General's Office released further details Monday night around 9:15 p.m.:

According to the preliminary investigation, emergency medical services responded to Mr. Washington’s residence on Randolph Avenue shortly after 2:15 p.m. Upon arrival, they requested the assistance of the Jersey City Police Department. At approximately 2:29 p.m., Jersey City PD patrol officers arrived and attempted to communicate with Mr. Washington. He refused to open his apartment door and remained inside. Officers attempted to establish a line of communication with Mr. Washington to no avail. Patrol officers then requested the Jersey City Emergency Services Unit (ESU).

At approximately 2:56 p.m., Jersey City Police ESU officers arrived on scene. Officers attempted to communicate with Mr. Washington through the closed apartment door for more than thirty minutes.

At approximately 3:28 p.m., ESU members forced open the door to Mr. Washington’s apartment.
Mr. Washington immediately advanced toward the officers in the hallway/stairwell. ESU Officer Felix DeJesus deployed a Conducted Energy Device, or stun gun. ESU Officer Stephen Gigante discharged his service weapon, striking Mr. Washington two times. Law enforcement recovered a knife near Mr. Washington.

Mr. Washington was treated by EMS, who transported him to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:47 pm.

A 2019 law, P.L. 2019, c. 1, requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.

In any fatal police encounter under investigation by the Office of the Attorney General, pursuant to Independent Prosecutor Directive 2019-4, the OAG presumptively makes available video footage captured by officers’ body-worn cameras and police vehicle dashboard cameras (when applicable) once the initial investigation is substantially complete — meaning investigators have completed interviews of all available material witnesses and the physical and documentary evidence most relevant to thecase has been gathered.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.