A New Jersey police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after a fatal shooting involving a Black male suspect. The unnamed officer allegedly shot 37-year-old Rashuan Washington who was said to be unarmed.
According to a report by NJ.com, a shirtless Washington allegedly ran toward police before he was shot and killed by the officer. Washington was shirtless at the time of his shooting and reportedly was holding a bottle of water and his t-shirt.
Footage of the incident was captured by a bystander and posted online. Police were called to the scene on Saturday after Washington was said to be pacing suspiciously back and forth outside of a duplex in Cumberland County and allegedly refused to leave when asked. The father of two children is said to have known someone who lived in the complex.
The attorney for the Washington family, Andaiye Al-Uqdah, voiced her displeasure with the actions of the involved officer.
“They can find no other way of handling the situation other than to kill him?” Al-Uqdah asked. “There’s no reason this man should be taken away from his family. It’s just disgusting.”
