The city of Trenton recently made headlines by agreeing to pay $3 million to Jajuan Henderson, a man who was left paralyzed after being shot by a police officer in February 2022.
Following the agreement, this settlement has started many discussions about police behavior, transparency, and accountability.
It’s a case that raises important questions about how law enforcement deals with certain situations, especially when it involves Black individuals like Henderson.
What exactly happened that night, and what led to this large settlement?
Let’s find out.
- The city of Trenton has agreed to a $3 million settlement with Jajuan Henderson, who was paralyzed after being shot by a police officer in 2022.
- Henderson was unarmed, and despite being cleared by a grand jury, the officer who fired the shots faced no criminal charges.
- The case has raised serious questions about police tactics, transparency, and the treatment of Black individuals in confrontations with law enforcement.
The Night of the Shooting
On the night of February 12, 2022, Jajuan Henderson, then 31, was trying to get an iced tea from his car.
He was visiting the mother of his daughter in Trenton when plainclothes police officers approached his parked vehicle on Centre Street.
These officers, from the Trenton Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, didn’t make their presence clear, and for Henderson, it must have been a confusing and scary situation.
According to reports, the officers ordered Henderson to roll down his window and provide his license and registration.
And Henderson didn’t comply immediately, which only worsened the situation. He said he wanted to call a lawyer, but the police were already frustrated.
Surprisingly, they smashed his car window, and Henderson, probably panicking at this point, tried to drive away.
Unfortunately, this led to him crashing into two parked cars. That’s when Officer Michael Gettler fired four shots into Henderson’s car, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
What makes this case even more upsetting is that Henderson was unarmed, and the police had no clear reason to fire at him. He wasn’t attacking anyone; he was just trying to leave the scene out of fear.
The Legal Battle and Settlement
After the shooting, Henderson’s family, along with civil rights groups like the NAACP, quickly took action.
In March 2022, they announced a lawsuit against the city of Trenton and its police department, accusing the officers of excessive force.
During a press conference, the NAACP said the officers had devalued Henderson’s life, a sentiment shared by many who felt this was yet another example of how police unfairly target Black men.
The situation was worsened by the fact that Henderson was initially charged with aggravated assault, with the police claiming he had tried to ram officers with his car.
However, these charges were later dropped because body camera footage didn’t support the officers’ version of events.
The footage showed that Henderson was likely trying to flee out of fear for his safety, not to harm anyone.
Despite the charges being dropped, Officer Gettler was cleared by a grand jury in 2023. The jury decided that the shooting was justified because Gettler felt threatened when Henderson’s car moved toward another officer.
Of course, this decision frustrated many people, who wondered how such a simple encounter could quickly turn deadly.
Even though Officer Gettler faced no criminal charges, the city of Trenton decided to settle the civil lawsuit by agreeing to pay Henderson and his family $3 million.
Sure, this settlement brings some financial relief to the family, but it doesn’t erase the fact that Henderson is now paralyzed and will face lifelong challenges because of the shooting.
For many, the settlement isn’t about the money—it’s about recognizing the wrongdoing and holding officers accountable for their actions.
Calls for Accountability and Reform
At its core, Henderson’s case goes beyond one tragic night—highlighting larger issues many communities face when dealing with law enforcement.
After the shooting, there were loud calls for more accountability and transparency from the police.
Henderson’s mother, Gia, has been vocal in her fight for justice, saying, “We want change, transparency, and accountability.” And she’s not alone in this demand.
Many in the community are calling for an end to aggressive policing tactics.
People demanded to know why the body camera footage wasn’t released sooner, especially since New Jersey law says it should have been made public within 20 days of the shooting.
Yet, more than 30 days had passed since the public heard about it.
Henderson’s attorneys and civil rights groups also questioned why plainclothes officers were patrolling the area in unmarked cars, a tactic that often causes confusion and fear, especially in high-crime neighborhoods.
These types of officers, sometimes referred to as “jump out boys,” are supposed to target drug and gun crimes, but their methods can lead to confrontations like the one Henderson faced.
From their standpoint, Henderson’s lawyers argued that the officers escalated the situation unnecessarily.
What should have been a simple request for identification quickly turned into a life-or-death encounter.
They, along with the NAACP, are calling for changes to how police interact with the public, especially in communities of color.
Understandably, they believe that officers need better training to de-escalate situations and avoid using deadly force when it’s unnecessary.
