Jennifer Danner said her sister, Deborah Danner should be alive, and that she should not be at police headquarters testifying about how a sergeant killed her.

“The first thing I am thinking about here, is how am I going to get justice for Debbie?” said Jennifer Danner. “That’s all I want. I want justice for her. All that testimony and stuff is fine, but I want everybody to see he did something wrong. He did not have to shoot her that day. Whatever she said to him, he could’ve backed out of the room.”

Deborah Danner who was African-American, suffered with paranoid schizophrenia. The 66-year-old was having a mental health breakdown on Oct. 18, 2016. NYPD officers were called to her Bronx building because she was screaming and tearing down fliers in the hallway. She was shot twice and killed by Sergeant Hugh Barry, who is white. He said Danner was in the motion of swinging a bat him inside her apartment.

In 2018, Barry was found not guilty of murder and other charges in a non-jury trial in the Bronx. In this police departmental trial, which Barry is attending, he could be terminated if found guilty.

“He’s not on the streets, but he still has his job, but I don’t have my sister, but he has his job and he’s working,” said Jennifer Danner. “This is my last shot to get some sort of justice for Debbie.”

In the criminal trial, the judge ruled Bronx prosecutors failed to prove the sergeant was not fearful for his life and that the shooting was not justified. However, this police trial is not about justification, but rather if his actions were necessary and if he followed the patrol guide in dealing with what police call emotionally disturbed people.

David Green, the NYPD advocate, acts as the prosecutor in the case. He told the NYPD judge that Barry heightened the anxiety of an already mentally unstable woman.

“He did not treat the situation as he was trained,” said Green. “Sergeant Barry and Sergeant Barry alone created a horrible situation.”

The advocate went on to say the officer didn’t follow several patrol guide rules. They include to preserve and protect life; take all the time needed as possible in dealing with the mentally ill; gather as much information as possible; and only use deadly physical force as a last resort.

But, Barry’s defense attorney John D’Alessandro told the judge the sergeant did everything he could, first convincing Danner to put down a pair of scissors she had, and then trying, with other officers, to grab her to take her to the hospital. But, that’s when Barry and his lawyers say she grabbed a wooden bat.

“Surprisingly, she was very quick,” said D’Alessandro. “He drew his firearm and ordered her several times to drop the bat.”

The shooting happened before NYPD officers were required to wear body cameras.

This case is expected to last several weeks. Barry will have to testify because this is a police departmental trial. The case will resume on Jan. 26.

Some police insiders have speculated the defense believes it has a better chance of Barry keeping his job under Mayor Eric Adams, a former cop, than it did under Mayor Bill de Blasio. With a new city administration, the new Police Commissioner, Keechant Sewell, will have the final say on whether Barry will be fired.