Cops kill Black violence intervention activist during mental health crisis

Hundreds of locals congregated in Paterson, New Jersey on Tuesday to demand justice for Najee Seabrooks, 31, a Black violence intervention activist killed by police Friday during a mental health crisis.

The Paterson Healing Collective, an organization that supports victims of violence, hosted the gathering in front of its offices. From there, community members and supporters of anti-violence organizations marched two blocks to City Hall, where they staged a second demonstration on the steps to discuss how to move forward, according to Yahoo News.

Frustration, rage and other emotions were evident coming from the crowd Tuesday as speeches were interspersed with chants of “Stop police brutality in the Black community,” “No justice, no peace” and “Justice for Najee.”

“I keep playing Friday over and over in my head,” said PHC project director Liza Chowdhury, Yahoo News reported. “Police refused to let us intervene despite helping more than 250 residents throughout this city. I pleaded with them, and I know if they let us intervene, he would still be alive. … He called us to help.”

The shooting Friday came amid a standoff that lasted more than four hours between Seabrooks and police. Authorities, responding to calls of a mentally distressed person in his home, arrived at the scene and found Seabrooks barricaded inside the apartment, according to the Patterson Press.

Police officials told the Patterson Press that Seabrooks let police into his house after lengthy negotiations,c then charged at them with a knife. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office claims that gunfire from two police agents – identified Wednesday as emergency team members Anzore Tsay and Jose Hernandez – hit Seabroooks, who was later pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center.

The activist, also the father of a little girl, reportedly called members of the PHC during his plight, but Paterson Police would not allow them to help. Law enforcement claimed they could not permit citizens to participate in crisis prevention, and said they only shot Seabrooks after he advanced toward them with a knife. According to officials, one of Seabrooks’ relatives, a police officer in another city, was called to the site to defuse the situation.

“We train the officers [on de-escalation tactics], and how ironic they didn’t let us help,” said PHC violence interventions coordinator Teddie Martinez, according to Yahoo. “All I said was, ‘Let me see his face, and I’ll go.’ They wanted to make it their show.”

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