Police footage captures the lethal use of force against a distressed woman in New Jersey, who her relatives called emergency services, reporting a mental health emergency.
On July 28, at least five police officers from Fort Lee were dispatched to the family's apartment, as per the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. Due to the inability to gain entry, one officer forcefully broke open the apartment door, as depicted in the released footage.
Within seconds of breaking the door, the same officer fired a shot that struck and killed the resident, identified as Lee, according to the footage.
Before the incident, Lee had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, as stated by Henry Cho, representing Lee's family, during a press conference. Cho further asserted that Lee was "harmless."
Despite attempts to deescalate the situation and communicate Lee's nonviolent nature, the police responded with aggression, which led to the forceful entry and fatal shooting of Lee, who held a plastic water jug at the time, said Cho.
An investigation into the incident has sparked concerns regarding how police respond to mental health crises, following a similar shooting of a Black woman in Illinois three weeks prior. In this case, the woman called 911 for help, stating she was having a mental breakdown but was not a danger to herself or others.
Adrian Lee, the president of the Korean-American Association of New Jersey, expressed concerns at the press conference, calling for improvements in police training and response protocols for mental health situations.
Lee's family seeks answers following her tragic demise. Cho emphasized, "Victoria was a cherished individual with a promising future. Her loss is immeasurable. The Lee family is committed to securing justice and unveiling the complete truth behind this tragic event."
The investigation into the police shooting is ongoing, according to the attorney general’s office. CNN sought a comment from the Fort Lee Police under their request, and reached out to Cho and the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office following this incident.
Brother attempted to stop the 911 call
Lee's brother placed two 911 calls on the night of the shooting.
Cho stated that Lee's brother, named Chris, made the first call asking for an ambulance, highlighting Lee's mental state and the presence of a small pocket knife used for opening packages. Upon learning that a police officer would accompany medical personnel, Chris asked for the police to stay away, but was advised that their presence was required to ensure the safety of the medics, as the recording of the 911 call from the attorney general's office reveals.
Subsequently, Chris dialed 911 again to cancel the initial call, but was told that canceling calls related to mental health crises was not an option, and police would arrive shortly. The call operator inquired why Chris wanted to cancel the call and he responded by stating that Lee had a knife but was not threatening anyone.
Video evidence of the shooting
Four body camera videos, some with pixelated or blurred sections, capture the events leading up to Lee's fatal shooting as the police responded to the incident at her residence around 1:25 a.m. ET.
Footage from the Fort Lee Police officer's bodycam shows Lee's brother opening the door and the officer asking if he is responsible for dealing with the mental health crisis and holding the knife. Lee's brother confirmed that his sister was the one in distress.
The door was then opened again by Lee's mother, who was holding a barking dog, and Lee could be heard from behind, urging her mother to close the door.
Several more officers arrived shortly after. The initial officer yelled that he would break the door down, and Lee was heard threatening the officers. One officer reached for his gun but hesitated to proceed, grabbing Lee's brother to escort him away instead.
Another officer stepped in and moved Lee's brother away from the door while a third officer assured him, "We don't want to shoot you, we want to help you."
"Go home, pig," Lee replied.
Officers debated using lethal or less lethal force while discussing the situation. Several officers mentioned their intention to use lethal force, while others suggested non-lethal options.
Footage shows the officer who eventually shot Lee attempting to break down the door with his body, while shouting, "Open the door." The door eventually opened, and footage captured Lee and her mother in the doorway, with Lee holding a large blue water jug and moving towards the door.
Footage shows an officer using a police shield in Lee's direction and the officer commanding Lee to drop the weapon. The officer continues to break down the door and shoots Lee twice, killing her instantly.
A knife was discovered at the crime scene, as per a press release from the attorney general's office. It's not evident from the footage if Lee was holding the knife when the police broke in. Lee allegedly dropped the knife prior to the police entering the apartment, according to Cho.
Lee reportedly approached the officers just before she was fatally shot, according to the attorney general's office.
Following Lee's fatal shooting, an officer repeatedly commanded her to relinquish the knife and later asked for its location, with someone responding "here". The four body camera recordings fail to demonstrate if Lee was carrying a knife during her shooting.
The officer who ultimately killed Lee dragged her into the hallway by her feet, footage shows, while inquiring if she was fine and asking for the location of her wound. A request for towels was also heard.
Lee was transported to the hospital, where she was officially declared deceased around 1:58 a.m., authorities confirmed.
"The family is distraught over the police's seemingly unnecessary usage of lethal force," Cho stated on Tuesday.
Criticism from Advocacy Groups
Following the fatal incident, advocacy groups denounced the actions of the Fort Lee police officers as "appalling", and expressed the need for additional funding in culturally sensitive mental health services.
"Our sympathies and rage cannot be expressed in words," AAPI New Jersey stated jointly with AAPI New Jersey, the Korean-American Association of New Jersey, the Korean Community Center, and MinKwon Center for Community Action on Friday.
The statement expressed concern that the incident may deter Asian American families from seeking mental health care for their loved ones, an already complicated task for the community.
"For multiple reasons, it can be difficult for Asian Americans to access mental health support," the statement furthered. "We are deeply worried about the consequences of this tragedy and similar events on the willingness of Asian Americans to seek medical attention when it is needed."
The statement continued, emphasizing that "Lee should still be alive today", following the release of the footage by the NJ Attorney General's Office.
"The footage and evidence released by the NJ Attorney General's Office corroborates what the Lee family has already shared with the world: that in mere minutes, the Fort Lee Police fatally shot Victoria, who posed no danger to anyone, with her mother powerlessly watching by," the statement concluded.
"New Jersey cannot continue to be a state that frequently kills individuals in mental health crises because we have not demonstrated the necessary will or urgency required for our most vulnerable residents and their loved ones," the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice expressed in a post on X.
The police response to Lee's mental health crisis, as depicted in the footage, led to a situation where her brother placed 911 calls seeking help and asking for the police to stay away. Despite this, officers were dispatched, leading to the fatal shooting of Lee.
Despite the concerns raised by advocacy groups about the Fort Lee police officers' actions during the incident, the investigation into the incident is ongoing, as stated by the attorney general's office.
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Upon reviewing the body camera footage, it becomes clear that several officers discussed using lethal or less lethal force, with some expressing their intention to use lethal force.
