This is not justice’: Heartbroken Family Speaks Out After Jersey City Officer Cleared in Fatal Shooting.

The living room where Andrew Washington once laughed with his family is now filled with silence and sorrow. A year after the 52-year-old Jersey City man was fatally shot by police during a mental health crisis, his family is left grappling with a decision that has shaken their faith in the system: the officer who pulled the trigger will not face criminal charges.

A Cry for Help, a Tragic Ending

It was a humid August evening in 2023 when Andrew’s mother dialed for help. Her son, who had struggled with bipolar disorder for years, was spiraling. She hoped for compassion, for someone trained to talk him down. Instead, police arrived-sirens blaring, radios crackling, tension thick in the air.

Inside his apartment, Andrew was scared and confused. Officers tried to coax him out, but he remained behind his locked door, his mind clouded by fear and hallucinations. When police forced entry, what happened next took only seconds: a flash of movement, a failed Taser, and then gunfire. Andrew collapsed, and the life his family cherished was gone.

‘He Needed Help, Not Bullets’

This week, the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Stephen Gigante landed like a fresh wound. “This is not justice,” Andrew’s aunt said, clutching a framed photo of her nephew. “We called for help, not a death sentence.”

The family says they were never interviewed as eyewitnesses. They watched the investigation unfold from the sidelines, feeling invisible. “Andrew was alone, afraid, and needed someone to talk to him-not someone to shoot him,” his cousin added. “How can we call this justice?”

A System Under Scrutiny

Andrew’s story is, heartbreakingly, not unique. Across the country, families of those with mental illness have watched similar tragedies play out. Advocates argue that police, no matter how well-intentioned, are not equipped to handle psychiatric emergencies. Mental health professionals, they say, should be the ones answering these calls.

Jersey City has yet to adopt crisis intervention teams, a move experts say could save lives. “If someone trained in mental health had come that night, maybe Andrew would still be here,” the family’s attorney said.

Turning Grief Into Action

Now, the Washington family is channeling their grief into advocacy. They’ve filed a civil suit and are pushing for reforms that put care-not force-at the center of crisis response. “We want Andrew’s legacy to be one of change,” his mother said, her voice trembling but resolute.

As the city debates what comes next, Andrew’s family hopes his story will open hearts-and eyes. “Justice isn’t just about courtrooms and charges,” his aunt said. “It’s about making sure no other family has to lose someone they love this way.”

Andrew Washington’s name is now a rallying cry-a reminder that true justice means compassion, accountability, and the courage to do better.