Joseph Mensah, the Wauwatosa, Wi., police officer who shot and killed Jay Anderson Jr. will not face state criminal charges, but federal prosecutors have agreed to review the case, Anderson’s family said after meeting with Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The family has said video shows Anderson was not “lunging” to grab a gun when he was killed by Mensah, as the officer contended.
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said the video shows Anderson reaching for the gun with his right hand. The chief said the shooting unfolded in a matter of seconds. “This is a horrible tragedy and for anyone to lose any family member, no matter what the incident is, it’s horrible,” Weber said. Chisholm told Anderson’s family that Mensah’s actions were justified self-defense when he saw Anderson’s hands drop during their interaction, said family attorney Jonathan Safran. “If it was another human being that killed Jay, he would be charged, so why can’t (Mensah) be charged?,” said Starkeisha Delarosa, the mother of Anderson’s daughter. “How can he move on with his life and start a family when Jay can’t continue his life with his family he had at home?”