Jajuan Henderson is seeking a jury trial and damages after he was allegedly ambushed, shot and eventually paralyzed from the chest by plainclothes police last month after he went to his car to get iced tea from his cars.
Henderson, 29, was visiting his daughter’s mother on Center Street in South Trenton on Feb. 12 when a dark car pulled up next to him as he retrieved a drink from the car, according to a civil lawsuit filed by lawyer Derek Demery of Zeff Law. Firm.
According to the lawsuit, a group of men wearing masks and dark clothes “jumped out of this mystery vehicle and started yelling at [him]And began to knock on the driver’s window.
Henderson allegedly took his cell phone and called his child’s mother for help, and then, “looking like any other group of dangerous horror movie criminals”, the masked men smashed his car window and shot him four times, at least once in spinal cord.
These men were Trenton police officers, although Henderson claims he was unaware of this at the time.
Henderson is now paralyzed from the chest down.
He named the city of Trenton, Trenton Police Department Director Steve E. Wilson, and four detectives identified only by the initials “MG”, “CH”, “JC”, and “JL” on the unnamed list. car that night.
Since then, all four detectives have been placed on administrative leave.
Jajuan Henderson, 29 (family photo), is seeking a jury trial and damages after he was ambushed, shot and eventually paralyzed from the chest by plainclothes officers of the Trenton Police Department on February 12.
The lawsuit lists the city of Trenton, the four detectives who allegedly ambushed Henderson on February 12, the Trenton Police Department and its director Steve Wilson (pictured) as defendants.
Henderson was represented by his mother Gia Henderson (pictured) at a press conference held by the NAACP New Jersey chapter to announce the lawsuit Thursday. She said that she had recently lost another son, and when she heard that Jajuan had been shot, her “heart nearly broke”.
Henderson was represented by his mother, Gia, at a press conference held by the NAACP New Jersey chapter to announce the lawsuit Thursday. She said that she had recently lost another son, and when she heard that Jajuan had been shot, her “heart nearly broke”.
“We want justice for Jajuan,” she said. “We want change, transparency and accountability.”
Four charges of aggravated assault were brought against Henderson, which have since been dismissed, his lawyers said at a press conference.
According to NJ.com, the Mercer County Attorney’s Office confirmed that the charges, which represented an entirely different version of the events by the detectives, were dropped.
Although the aggravated assault charges were dropped, Henderson still faces charges of resisting arrest and obstruction.
As Mercer County handles them, the investigation into the officers’ use of force was transferred to neighboring Union County to avoid conflicts of interest.
Detectives allege that Henderson was uncooperative when they approached him on the 500 block of Center Street around 00:10 a.m., according to court records reviewed by the Burlington County Times.
Henderson, 29, was shot four times by officers, at least once in the spine.
Henderson was shot and killed at the 500 block of Center Street in South Trenton.
Derek Demery (right), an attorney for the law firm Zeff who represents Henderson, posted on Facebook following Thursday’s press conference announcing the lawsuit.
The department alleges that Henderson failed to show insurance or a driver’s license, refused to fully lower his driver’s side window, and “climbed under the seats of his vehicle.”
According to the department, one of the detectives told Henderson to stop searching his car, at which point another detective began smashing the car window.
They then claim that he tried to run and nearly ran over the detectives.
“Henderson started the car, turned it on and attempted to flee the scene,” the statement said. It says Henderson struck at cars parked in front of and behind his car “while the officers remained in close proximity.”
The report does not state which officer shot Henderson or how, only that he “ended up with four gunshot wounds during the investigation.” It is not clear why the detectives initially turned to him.
But Henderson’s lawyers argue that the detectives’ version is impossible: “Even if it’s true that [Henderson] really started the car and tried to flee the scene after the window was broken, it was impossible to escape because the car was surrounded by other cars and a support.”
“A black man sitting in a car at midnight talking on a cell phone is all it takes for these unknown cops to smash the driver’s side window,” the lawsuit says.
“Even though they were unarmed, posed no threat and minding their own business, these officers used lethal force and shot Jajuan in the neck.”
According to the lawsuit, there is footage from the body camera that has not yet been released to the public.
At a press conference on Thursday, lawyers for the Zeff Law Firm, criminal defense attorney David Bahuriak and civil attorney Greg Zeff acknowledged that they also had not seen the footage from the bodycam and said they should be available to the public by now.
“It’s very frustrating,” Demery told NBC News. “The family has a right to transparency in this process.”
At a press conference on Thursday, lawyers for the Zeff Law Firm, criminal defense attorney David Bahuriak and civil attorney Greg Zeff acknowledged that they also had not seen the footage from the bodycam and said they should be available to the public by now.
The footage is to be released to the public upon request after the initial investigation into the use of force is completed – typically within 20 days, according to NJ.com.
Lawyers said more than 30 days had passed.
“The police need to explain something,” Baguriak said. “The community is fed up.”
Despite this, Bahuriak said none of the evidence they have examined so far justifies the officers’ behavior under the pretense of stopping the car. At a press conference, he accused the police of “running the show”, and called officers traveling around the cities in civilian clothes with tinted windows “jump out, boys.”
City of Trenton spokesman Tim Carroll said city officials and police are investigating the February 12 incident and that “the city is not commenting on any ongoing lawsuits.”