Friends And Family Of Woman Killed By Fort Lee Police To Hold Vigil, Demonstration

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Friends and family of Victoria Lee — a woman fatally shot by police in Bergen County last month while having a "mental health crisis" — will hold a vigil Thursday.

The family of Lee, 26, called 911 on July 25 to help their daughter get to the hospital, they have said — but instead, a police officer killed her with one shot.

"We are writing to extend an invitation to a community rally in Fort Lee to honor the memory of Victoria Lee, a beloved member of our community whose life was tragically cut short," wrote friends in an announcement Wednesday. "This gathering is an opportunity for us to come together, support the grieving family, and demand that the truth behind her passing be brought to light."

They added, "Your presence and support at this rally would mean a great deal to the family and to our community as a whole. Let us unite in seeking justice for Victoria Lee."

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, Aug. 15
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: 1355 Inwood Terrace, Fort Lee, NJ

More Details

Both Lee's family and the Asian American Pacific Islander alliance in New Jersey have condemned the shooting.

The family said they called 911 around 1:25 a.m. so the victim could be taken to the hospital. They said that Lee was holding a water bottle when she was shot, not a knife as law enforcement officials have claimed.

READ MORE: Attorney General Identifies Woman In 'Crisis' Who Was Fatally Shot By Police In Fort Lee

Lee was shot at her family's apartment in the Pinnacle building in Fort Lee, law enforcement officials have said.

The New Jersey attorney general's office said they are investigating the shooting.

Last week, the family's lawyer submitted a summary of events to the Record of Hackensack in response to an article they were writing.

In the article, the family said that Lee was having a mental health crisis, rolling on her bed and banging her head. She refused to let them take her to the hospital, so her brother called 911 for an ambulance to take her to Valley Hospital, they said.

The family told the 911 operator that Lee had never been violent and police weren't needed. But the operator said police must always come in such a situation, the statement said.

At some point, Lee was holding a small pocketknife, but had put it down and picked up a water bottle before an officer shot her, the family said.

Because of other police shootings when families have called for help for relatives in a mental health crisis, AAPI New Jersey, the state’s largest Asian American advocacy group, released a statement as well, saying, "We join Victoria Lee’s family and other groups in calling for a thorough investigation by the NJ Attorney General’s Office and all relevant authorities of this incident and the practices of the Fort Lee Police Department. We also call on all state and local law enforcement agencies and first responders to work with mental health professionals and community groups to improve practices and protocols."

They cited the killings of Andrew Washington in Jersey City and Najee Seabrooks in Paterson.

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