Black Man Shot By NJ Police, Left Paralyzed Files Lawsuit With NAACP

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — The family of an unarmed Black man and the NAACP are suing Trenton Police over a shooting last month, that left the Burlington man paralyzed.

Jajuan Henderson, 29, of Burlington was shot by Trenton Police on Feb. 12. He was then charged with four counts of aggravated assault and one count each of resisting arrest and obstruction. Read more: Man Shot By Police In Mercer Charged With Assault, Obstruction

At a press conference held on Thursday, Henderson’s mother Gia Henderson, NJ NAACP president Richard Smith and lawyers announced they were suing the city of Trenton, and Trenton police.

“This case involves yet another needless police shooting that left a 29-year-old Black man paralyzed from the chest down after a far from routine traffic stop,” Smith said.

The 29-year-old was visiting the mother of his child in Trenton and walked outside to his parked car around midnight to get iced tea. Jajuan sat in the car with the engine turned off when an unidentified dark car approached and boxed him in, Smith said.

“A group of men fully masked and in dark plainclothes, then jumped out of this mysterious vehicle and began yelling at Jajuan,” Smith said. Henderson then reached for his cellphone to call for help.

“This group of men, appearing as any other group of dangerous criminals from a horror movie, turned out to be from the Trenton Police Department,” Smith said.

The NAACP said officers began yelling at Henderson, broke his car window and shot him in the neck, paralyzing him chest down.

A report of the incident from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office did not specify what caused the incident, but the four officers involved were placed on administrative leave.

“Despite being unarmed, non-threatening and minding his own business, officers proceeded to use lethal force and shoot Jajuan in the neck. It’s a miracle that Jajuan survived, "Smith said.

When Henderson's mother Gia got news of the shooting, she thought her son had died.

“I just lost a son a few months back,” Gia said. “I’m here to get justice for my son Jajuan and I want Trenton Police Crime Unit and officers that were involved in that shooting that night, to be accountable.”

Henderson's lawyers, David Bahuriak and Greg Zeff said he was shot by police in the neck and back. They also revealed that the four counts of aggravated assault charges against Jajuan have been dismissed.

According to the probable cause statement released by Trenton Police, Henderson refused to cooperate with “detectives’ requests and commands” and refused orders to exit the vehicle and roll down the window, reported NJ Spotlight. He tried to drive away and crashed into a parked vehicle.

Henderson still faces resisting arrest and obstruction charges. These charges are being prosecuted by Mercer County.

The state Attorney General’s Office has transferred the examination of the officers’ actions to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office due to a conflict between the officers and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office, a spokesperson said.

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