Bodycam Video Of 'Horrifying' Police Shooting In Fort Lee Sparks New Outrage

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — After body cam video was released this weekend of the police shooting of Victoria Lee in Fort Lee last month, an advocacy group has called the chain of events "horrifying" and asked for change. READ MORE: Attorney General Identifies Woman In 'Crisis' Who Was Fatally Shot By Police In Fort Lee

The family of Lee, 25, called 911 on July 28 to help their daughter get to the hospital because she was having a mental health crisis, they have said — but instead, a police officer shot her to death.

The state Attorney General's Office released the body camera footage, found here, late on Friday.

The national Asian advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate has launched a petition in partnership with AAPI New Jersey calling for "accountability and justice."

Cynthia Choi, the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, said, “The newly-released body camera footage confirms our worst fears: that the fatal police shooting of 25-year-old Victoria Lee was unjust and unwarranted. It depicts a horrifying chain of events that show Victoria did not pose a threat when Fort LeePolice shot her in front of her mother."

She added, "As her family members have stated, they repeatedly asked police not to enter the apartment, but officers forced the door open and shot Victoria within seconds, without adequate efforts to de-escalate and prioritize non-lethal tools."

In a release, the group said, "Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are on edge as we continue to grapple with the reality that no one is immune to police violence and misconduct. In just 2024, police have killed multiple Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Victoria Lee, Yong Yang, William Jae Kil Nelson, Nyah Mway, Hussain Al Raji, Jaahnavi Kandula, Win Rozario — and just three days ago, 16-year-old Easter Leafa."

They noted, " Those with mental health conditions are 16 times more likely to be killed by the police, and 1 in 4 Asians killed by police were experiencing a mental health crisis."

Stop AAPI Hate asked for officials to "Launch a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Victoria Lee that examines both the specific circumstances of this incident and the broader practices of the Fort Lee Police Department and other first responders in handling mental health crises."

They added, "We also call on leaders across our 50 states to invest in alternative crisis responses that do not rely on law enforcement, including easily-accessible mental health resources and services."

Advocacy groups have cited the killings of Andrew Washington in Jersey City and Najee Seabrooks in Paterson in demanding new protocols for how emergency responders deal with people having a mental health crisis.

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

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