Officers ignored brother’s pleas before Fort Lee, NJ fatal police shooting

🔴 Police officer in fatal shooting will not face charges

🔴 Her family tried to stop police officers from escalating

🔴 Advocates say it was easily avoidable

FORT LEE — A police officer will not face criminal charges in connection with the killing of Victoria Lee, who was shot after her family called 911 to get her an ambulance.

On Monday, a New Jersey grand jury voted not to indict Fort Lee police Officer Tony Pickens, Jr., according to the Attorney General's Office.

The grand jury reviewed bodyworn camera footage, audio from two calls to emergency responders, photos, and other evidence from the July 2024 police-involved shooting.

The decision was devastating for Lee's family, but not surprising, said Amber Reed, co-executive director of the Asian American & Pacific Islanders of New Jersey.

"We've seen this lack of accountability for officers involved in killings in New Jersey and nationwide. Fundamentally, this is a story about a family that was trying to get help for their daughter during her mental health crisis," Reed said.

Brother tries to cancel fatal police response

According to the OAG, Lee's brother called 911 early on the morning of July 28, 2024.

At 1:14 a.m., he requested an ambulance to take Lee, the daughter of Korean immigrants, to the hospital because she was experiencing a mental health crisis.

The dispatcher said an ambulance and a police officer would be sent. However, Lee's brother responded and said “just the ambulance” would be enough.

His request was denied, as the dispatcher said the officer would go for the safety of ambulance personnel.

Lee's brother called back five minutes later and tried to cancel the emergency call, but was denied again.

He hesitated, then explained that Lee had a "foldable" knife but was not threatening anyone with it.

Police in tactical gear respond to crisis call

Less than ten minutes after the first call was placed, Officer Tony Pickens, Jr., arrived at the Pinnacle apartment complex that overlooks Main Street and the Hudson River.

Lee's brother met Pickens at the door to his family's apartment. Video showed he tried to convince the officer not to enter the apartment, but was moved aside.

"Stop. She has a knife. She's gonna hurt someone," Pickens said.

Next, Lee and her mother opened the door and told Pickens not to come in. They quickly shut the door and locked it.

Around half a dozen police officers gathered in the hallway. A supervising officer said that they would have to get inside.

Pickens knocked on the door several times and asked the women to open up.

“Go ahead, I’ll stab you in the f***ing neck," Lee said. “Shoot me if you want to.”

Pickens broke down the door and saw Lee standing around two steps from the door, authorities said.

Lee was holding a five-gallon water bottle in her right hand and another object in her left hand, officials said.

Pickens shot once and hit Lee in the chest. Despite getting medical attention at the scene, Lee was pronounced dead at the hospital within the hour.

Coalition of advocacy groups calls for police reform

On Tuesday, the Asian American & Pacific Islanders of New Jersey released a statement with a dozen other signatories, including the Asian Women’s Christian Association, Black Lives Matter Paterson, and New Jersey Policy Perspective.

READ MORE: State names Paterson, NJ cops who shot anti-violence activist

Amber Reed, AAPI NJ co-executive director, said police-involved killings of minorities during health crises are not unfamiliar.

"A lot of people have felt that there are deeper issues that are interconnected to our shared struggles with other people of color, in the way that we've experienced police violence," Reed said.

The groups demanded an internal disciplinary process for Pickens and the other officers at the scene, plus a review of the Fort Lee police's use-of-force policies.

They also called for Bergen County to build alternatives for crisis response, including Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams available through the 988 crisis lifeline.

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