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Jersey City, NJ (September 8, 2023) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), this Saturday will deliver the eulogy for Andrew Jerome Washington, a Jersey City man who was shot and killed by police after his family sought medical assistance while he was experiencing a mental health crisis at home.
Washington’s family placed a call to Jersey City Medical Center’s intervention helpline for assistance, prompting a response by paramedics to the home. Local police were summoned by the paramedics and Washington was fatally shot after he brandished a knife despite the family’s pleas to not use deadly force.
Hundreds of community members, many of whom were aware of Washington’s condition, have come together to express outrage over the killing and call for a more serious effort to improve how police and other first responders respond to community members experiencing mental health crises. This marks the latest incident in which a Black person was killed by law enforcement during a mental health crisis. In March, Rev. Sharpton delivered the eulogy for Irvo Otieno, who died handcuffed in police custody when officers beat him for several minutes during an episode.
WHO
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN
WHERE
St. John’s Baptist Church
525 Bramhall Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07304
WHEN
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Service: 12 p.m. ET
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net
(http://www.nationalactionnetwork.net/).
