The family of Korean American woman Victoria Lee claims that Lee was holding a plastic water bottle and not a knife when she was fatally shot by police during a response to a mental health crisis call in New Jersey, reports NJ.com.
According to the family’s statement to NorthJersey.com, Lee’s brother Chris called 911 on July 28 in the early morning to request an ambulance for Lee, who was “rolling on the bed, briefly shouting, and lightly tapping her head against the wall.” Lee allegedly picked up a small pocketknife in distress after learning ambulance and police were coming. The statement continues that Chris called 911 again to let them know about the small pocketknife and requesting police not enter.
The statement claims that the police officer that showed up at the doorstep “started to forcefully kick the door” after Lee’s mother closed the door on the officer and after Chris, who was outside the unit at this point, did not provide the officer with a key. After other officers arrived and as they tried kicking the door down, Lee allegedly was holding a 5-gallon Poland Spring plastic water bottle “non-threateningly,” with the pocketknife already on the floor about 7 feet from the door, according to the statement.
The statement says that “almost immediately, a gunshot was fired” that struck Lee after the door suddenly opened. An officer attempted first aid and Lee was allegedly carried away by officers without a stretcher, with her family claiming that an ambulance and medical personnel never arrived. At the hospital, Lee’s mother was informed her 26-year-old daughter had died.
The NJ Attorney General’s Office released their own statement on the incident: “According to the preliminary investigation, on July 28 at approximately 1:25 a.m., police officers from the Fort Lee Police Department responded to a home in ‘The Pinnacle’ apartment complex on Main Street, after a man called 911 reporting that his sister was having a mental health crisis and needed to go to the hospital. The caller stated that his sister was holding a knife.
“Upon arrival, an officer spoke to the caller outside of the apartment unit in the building’s hallway. The officer then opened the apartment door and observed two females: the sister, identified as Ms. Lee, and another female. They told the officer not to come in and shut the door. The officer stood outside knocking on the door, asking the females to open the door as additional officers arrived. After the occupants did not comply, officers breached the door. As Ms. Lee approached the officers in the hallway, Police Officer Tony Pickens, Jr. fired a single shot, striking Ms. Lee in the chest. Officers provided immediate medical aid. Ms. Lee was transported to Englewood Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased at approximately 1:58 a.m. A knife was recovered at the scene.”
The family is calling for a thorough investigation. “The Lee family strongly requests to the NJ Office of the Attorney General the following: that investigators visit the site of the incident in person, and carefully review all the facts and evidence, including the responding police officers’ body cameras and the Poland Spring water bottle at the scene that was produced by the Lee family,” the statement reads. Read more of the statement at NorthJersey.com.
AsAmNews reported on this incident earlier this week, specifically discussing AAPI New Jersey’s call for an investigation:
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