A state grand jury declined to criminally charge police officers involved in the fatal 2023 shooting of Paterson activist Najee Seabrooks.

March 3 marked two years since Seabrooks died. The sequence of events leading to that shooting changed the way law enforcement handles crisis responses in New Jersey. But after deliberation, a state grand jury voted “no bill” on charging the officers.

The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability investigated Seabrooks’ death and presented its findings to a state grand jury. The grand jury voted not to file criminal charges against Paterson Police Officers Anzore Tsay and Jose Hernandez.

RELATED: Paterson police officials sue NJ attorney general for taking over department

The incident between Seabrooks and police involved a more than four-hour standoff. According to the investigation, Seabrooks was in distress and acting erratically.

“My thoughts were, when I originally got the report going back two years ago, was that as long as they tried to do everything they could within their power, but tragically that’s the way it ended,” says Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.

The shooting set a precedent for how law enforcement across the state responds to crisis calls. It also led to the state takeover of the Paterson Police Department.