NJ woman shot to death by police had water jug not knife, family says

🔴 Korean American woman shot by Fort Lee police in July

🔴 Family says cop wrongly thought she had a knife

🔴 Police were called for a mental health crisis, authorities say

FORT LEE — The family of a Bergen County woman says she was unarmed when she was shot by police officers responding to a well-being check late last month.

Victoria Lee, 25, was shot by a Fort Lee police officer in an apartment on Main Street early on the morning of July 28, according to the Attorney General's Office.

Her brother had called police around 1:30 a.m. to report that she was experiencing a mental health crisis and needed to go to the hospital. Within 30 minutes, Lee was dead.

Her brother had said to the dispatcher that she had a knife, according to authorities. Authorities said a knife was found at the scene.

But Lee's family said she wasn't holding the blade when Police Officer Tony Pickens, Jr. kicked in the door and shot her.

Lee's mother had already convinced her to drop the knife and she had picked up a five-gallon water jug instead by the time the door got kicked in, the family said in a statement sent to NorthJersey.com.

Lee's family demanded investigators review bodycam footage from the shooting.

"The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time," the OAG said.

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Advocates demand better police responses to mental health calls

AAPI New Jersey, the largest Asian American advocacy group in the state, joined the family's calls for a thorough investigation.

The group also said that all law enforcement should work with mental health professionals to better respond to mental health emergencies.

"Victoria Lee’s killing follows other fatal encounters in New Jersey between law enforcement and individuals experiencing mental health crises, including Andrew Washington and Najee Seabrooks. These killings, like too many others, make all too clear how vulnerable people of color are during confrontations with law enforcement," said AAPI in a statement.

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Washington, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, was shot by Jersey City police at his home on Aug. 27, 2023. Bodycam footage released by the OAG showed the 52-year-old Jersey City man advancing at officers with a knife before he was tased and shot to death.

Seabrooks, a 31-year-old violence intervention advocate, was shot by Paterson police after he lunged at officers with a knife on March 3, 2023. He was also experiencing a mental health crisis; family and friends said they could have escalated the situation if they had been given a chance to speak with him.

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