Justice Denied: Son’s Legal Battle Thwarted by Unforgiving Deadline After Father’s Fatal Shooting by Newark Cop

Imagine the gut-wrenching agony of losing a parent—now imagine that parent being gunned down by police. That’s the reality Ahmaad Griffin has been living since January 2019, when his father, Gregory Griffin, was fatally shot by Newark patrolman Jovanny Crespo during a high-speed chase that turned deadly. But the nightmare didn’t end with the bullets.

In a brutal twist, an appellate court has slammed the door shut on Ahmaad’s attempt to sue the City of Newark. Why? A missed deadline. A mere 90-day window to file a tort claim—an impossible time frame when drowning in grief and legal chaos. This isn’t the first time the courts have upheld this devastating decision, proving once again that the system cares more about paperwork than justice.

The details of Gregory Griffin’s death are chilling. A chaotic police chase, gunfire, and a shoot-first, ask-questions-later mentality caught on body cam. Prosecutors later called Crespo’s actions reckless and unjustified. Andrew Dixon, Griffin’s passenger, was also seriously wounded in the incident.

Crespo was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and official misconduct, earning a 27-year prison sentence. But for Ahmaad, that conviction rings hollow. His father is still gone. And now, thanks to a legal technicality, the fight for accountability is being crushed under red tape.

Is this justice? The law expects grieving families to master legal loopholes while burying their dead. Critics say the system is rigged against everyday people, favoring institutions over individuals. How can justice be served when a missed deadline outweighs the truth?

Ahmaad Griffin’s legal battle may be stalled, but the fight for accountability isn’t over. The rigid, cold machinery of the law may have turned its back, but the question remains: Will justice ever truly be served?