the police Community tension in Patterson is escalating Advocates and Friends of Najee Seabrooks the 31 year old violence intervention specialist shot and killed by police last week are continuing their calls for reform this weekend leading a protest through the city rallying in front of a restaurant owned by one of the officers involved ending at Police Headquarters they're demanding the release of body cam footage from the March 3rd incident and criminal charges against the officers late today one of the state's leading social justice organizations officially requested the federal justice department to intervene and investigate senior political correspondent David Cruz reports the sound from the street is loud and clear just don't care about black people they'll value our lives they don't recognize it as human beings that's right right as their brother as their sister as someone that deserves compassion and deserves patience you better appreciate the fact that this family wants Justice and not Revenge right now they're Seeking Justice but if they don't get Justice they're gonna seek revenge and that's when things are gonna go to a whole nother level anger is growing in Patterson and the tone of demonstrations peaceful up to this point is growing in intensity demonstrators noted the expressions of concern over the shooting that wounded a State Trooper in the city the day before the Seabrook standoff prompting the local Congressman to tweet that he was rushing home from Washington out of concern for his family and including a visit to Patterson from the state's attorney general ironically on the same day Naji Seabrooks was shot and killed these Troopers represent the absolute best in law enforcement what is equally troubling say an increasing number of activists is the Silence from elected officials including the legislative Black Caucus whose chair assembly member Siobhan the Sumter represents Patterson Michael Jackson is a councilman and critic of the city's Administration He suggests that elected officials have more of an interest in maintaining the status quo there's a great deal of money that comes into Paterson that people kind of you know fall asleep on so various members of the legislative body whether it's caucus or not can rally a short number of votes and maintain their posture and position without you know invoking great deal of change that's my personal feeling on on why people aren't you know doing more when it comes to the wrongdoings of Paterson Yannick wood of the New Jersey Institute for social justice which sent the letter today to the justice department calling for federal intervention into the Patterson PD wouldn't speak to that specifically but said regardless of who's saying or not saying anything publicly the state-funded crisis interventionists should have been allowed to help on that day I think it's a very disturbing situation because um on one hand members of the government recognize the need for violence intervention but then local uh Patterson Patterson Police um record uh relegated them to almost being like second class Partners we didn't hear back from assembly members Sumter today leaving mayor Andre Saya as the city's loan elected official answering questions about this and his answer repeated at several unrelated press events over the past week has remained the same I've repeatedly requested that the Attorney General release any body camera footage and I've made like I stated before multiple requests still haven't heard about where that stands but again that's where we stand the mayor says he still hasn't gotten an answer as to why not g seabrook's colleagues from the Patterson Healing Collective weren't allowed to lend assistance on that day meanwhile funeral services for Seabrooks are scheduled for Saturday I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news [music]