Jersey City, NJ – The Attorney General’s Office is conducting an investigation into a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred on Sunday.
The incident happened when police officers attempted to de-escalate a situation involving a man armed with a knife. According to authorities, the man charged at the officers, leading one to fire his service weapon.
The deceased man has been identified by his family as Andrew Jerome Washington, 52. After being shot, Washington was taken to a local hospital for surgery and later pronounced dead.
Family members of Washington claim he was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time and had called for assistance. They expressed surprise that a SWAT team was the responding force.
The initial investigation shows that officers from the Jersey City Police Department were dispatched to a home on Randolph Avenue near Bramhall Avenue at approximately 2:28 p.m. The call for police intervention was initiated by emergency medical services personnel.
One officer discharged his service weapon during the encounter, striking Washington.
Washington was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead at 4:47 p.m.
The investigation is ongoing. Further details are pending release.