Following pressure from family, advocates, and AAPI community groups, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office released the bodycam footage Friday from the police shooting of 25-year-old Korean American. Warning: Some viewers may find the video disturbing.
Lee was experiencing a mental health crisis when her family called 911 for an ambulance. Footage shows that police shot her within minutes of arrival at her door.
“I was completely sickened and outraged by the disturbing actions of the Fort Lee police,” Manjusha Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, said in response to the footage to AsAmNews.
“There’s no question that Victoria should be alive today, and the footage really confirms our worst fears that the police killing of Victoria was unjust and unwarranted,” she adds.
“[The police] chose to go lethal without trying to deescalate this.”
On July 28th, a 911 call was made from the Lee household for an ambulance to bring Lee to a medical facility. The police were dispatched as well, despite repeated requests from the family member not to send law enforcement.
On the call, family members also reported that Lee had been holding a small, foldable knife. Body camera footage shows that, on arrival, responding officers immediately demanded to know who had the knife. An already distressed Lee can be heard becoming increasingly agitated as the officers threatened to break down the door and discussed whether to use lethal or less-lethal weaponry upon entering.
Within three minutes of arriving at the Lee home, Officer Tony Pickens, Jr. broke open the door and immediately shot Lee once. Lee was still in the doorway, holding a plastic water jug; her family maintains she was not holding a knife at the time.
Community advocates from AAPI NJ and Stop AAPI Hate say that the released footage shows an unnecessary use of lethal force by responding officers. For instance, responding officers made no attempts at de-escalation or crisis management at the Lee residence, even when the family asked the police to stand down.
