JAMESVILLE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A dispatcher’s warning to police can be heard on police scanners as they head to a call for help with a teenager in Jamesville on Thursday. A short time later, the 17-year-old was shot and killed by law enforcement.
The State Attorney General’s office is now determining whether it has jurisdiction to handle the case, or whether it’ll be left to the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.
Starting in 2015, the Attorney General can become a special prosecutor when law enforcement causes the death of an unarmed person, or where there is a significant question as to whether the civilian was armed and dangerous. That’s the case in Jamesville with the death of the 17-year-old.
On Thursday, several agencies were called to the area of Coye and Apulia roads in Jamesville after a mental health crisis team with St. Joseph’s called for help with what they’re describing as an “uncooperative male.” The teen ran from the scene with what police say appeared to be a handgun. They say when they approached him, he raised the weapon, and officers fired theirs, hitting him, and killing him.
From the sounds of the 911 call, the teen lead police on a chase.
On Friday, the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District issued a statement on the death of the teen. It reads:
Dear J-D families,
The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District school community is heartbroken over the news of the Thursday, March 4, death of one of our former students.
Our thoughts and sincerest sympathies go out to the family and friends of Judson Albahm. Our counseling team has identified and reached out to those students and staff members who knew Judson and are lending support where needed as our school community copes with this tragedy.
Your children may be aware of this news since it is an active police investigation being discussed in the media and community. There are a number of resources online to help you talk with your children about grief and death, including National Association of School Psychologists: Addressing Grief. Locally, Hope for the Bereaved has a wealth of information to help families and individuals dealing with grief and loss.
Our counseling team will continue to check in on those in need of support, and I encourage you to reach out to your child’s school counselor if you need help talking with your child. It is times like this that the true meaning of the phrase “together, we are J-D” is shown as our community supports and cares for one another. Please reach out if you need help as we work towards healing as a community.
Sincerely,
Peter
On Friday, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement from senior racial justice strategist Yusuf Abdul-Qadir:
“While we continue searching for answers, several facts are clear: dozens of cops, sheriffs and state police descended on the scene of a young person experiencing a mental health crisis, and took the very life they swore to protect. DeWitt police, New York state police, and Onondaga County Sheriffs are responsible for making this situation fatal – no one else. This tragedy shows that police escalate by design, and do not ensure the dignity, health and basic human rights that all residents deserve.”
