A state grand jury has declined to file criminal charges in the fatal police shooting of Najee Seabrooks, 31, in Paterson on March 3, 2023. The decision was announced after the jury concluded deliberations on March 17.

Seabrooks, a Paterson resident and violence interventionist with the Paterson Healing Collective, was shot by Officers Anzore Tsay and Jose Hernandez after an hours-long standoff at an apartment on Mill Street. The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability investigated the case, presenting witness testimony, video footage, ballistics reports, and medical examiner findings to the grand jury.

According to the investigation, police responded to a 911 call at 7:43 a.m. reporting an individual in distress. Upon arrival, officers learned Seabrooks had locked himself in a bathroom with knives, was hallucinating, and claimed people were trying to kill him. Crisis negotiators and emergency responders attempted to persuade him to surrender for medical assistance.

After hours of negotiation, Seabrooks set a fire in the bathroom, threw objects at officers, and refused to drop his weapons, investigators said. Less-than-lethal measures were used but failed to subdue him. Around 12:35 p.m., he emerged from the bathroom with a knife and advanced toward officers, prompting Tsay and Hernandez to fire. Seabrooks was transported to Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:51 p.m.

Seabrooks’ death led to significant changes in Paterson’s law enforcement policies, including statewide revisions to crisis response and use-of-force protocols.