by Ti-Hua Chang
By Main Street in Fort Lee, New Jersey, some 60 people gathered on Saturday in a somber rally and march demanding accountability and justice for Victoria Lee.
Victoria Lee shot and killed last year
Nearly one year ago, on July 28th, Victoria Lee, 25, was shot to death by Fort Lee police officer Tony Pickens Jr., while he was responding to a 911 call about her mental health. Knowledgeable sources say she was banging her head against the wall when her older brother called 911.
According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s press release, Lee’s brother called 911 a second time, asking for an ambulance only and no police, while mentioning that his sister had a folded knife. The dispatcher said police must accompany EMTs to protect them in mental health situations.
Bodycam video shows police killing
Body cam video shows Officer Pickens, accompanied by several other police officers, breaking down the Lee family’s apartment door. Victoria Lee lunged toward him, and Pickens shot her once in the chest, killing her. Pickens has been on suspended paid duty, while the other officers involved are on active patrol.
New Jersey Grand Jury declines criminal charges vs. Officer Pickens
Last week, a Grand jury voted not to file criminal charges against Officer Pickens Jr. The organizer of the rally, AAPI New Jersey, argues that Victoria Lee should be alive today, and police must change how they respond to mental health crises.
AAPI community in New Jersey demands accountability
AAPI NJ Co-Executive Director, Amber Reed, told AsAmNews, “Victoria’s family was looking for help transporting her to a treatment center where she’d received support before, instead, what we have in our society is usually an armed response with police, which you saw had deadly consequences..… We do see this happening disproportionately in communities of color; they just have to be removed from these situations.”
Victoria Lee’s father devastated
Victoria Lee’s father noted that the Grand Jury’s proceedings were secret and wondered if Victoria’s side of her killing was presented. ”We had hoped to see Officer Pickens stand before the law. This week, we were devastated to be told this would not happen.”
Victoria Lee’s mother burst into tears
Victoria Lee’s mother was holding her daughter’s left arm when police broke down the family’s apartment door. She says Victoria Lee had a 5-gallon plastic water jar in her right hand and something in her left hand when she moved toward Officer Pickens, and he shot her.
Through a translator, Victoria Lee’s mother told AsAmNews that she cannot understand why Officer Pickens faces no criminal charges and that she thinks of her daughter every day. She then burst into tears.
Black Lives Matter Paterson supports Lee family demands
Zellie Thomas, the executive director of Black Lives Matter Paterson was introduced at the rally as a steadfast supporter of the Lee family. He argued that police do not handle mental health patients in communities of Color correctly.
“Instead of getting love and support, they are met with aggression. They are met with violence,” he said.
Former police official said police should have waited
A former high-ranking police official from the tri-state area reviewed the body cam video and related public information at the request of this reporter. The former police official, who wishes to remain anonymous, concluded that based on the limited public information, Fort Lee police could have handled the situation differently.
The police should have, says the former police official, waited for a battering ram to open the Lee’s apartment door. By using his body to break down the Lee’s apartment door, Officer Pickens Jr. ended up too close to the possible threat from Victoria Lee. The former official noted that since there seemed to be no imminent threat to anyone, Fort Lee police could have talked with Victoria Lee more and waited for a battering ram, which, after opening the Lee’s apartment door, would have left more distance between Victoria Lee and the officers more time to react differently.
Activists at Saturday’s rally also noted that one of the Fort Lee officers had a large shield to separate police from Victoria Lee.
Rally attendees denounce Fort Lee elected officials
The rally organizers say that Fort Lee’s elected officials have ignored their calls for change in police handling of mental health calls and have been patronizing toward Victoria Lee’s supporters.
Fort Lee has one of the highest percentages of Asian Americans in New Jersey, particularly those of Korean ethnicity. Saturday’s rally was attended by multi-generational representatives of the Korean community and several Asian American Civil Rights organizations, including AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund).
No comment from Fort Lee police or mayor
AsAmNews contacted the Fort Lee Police and was referred to Deputy Chief Ed Young, who handles Press relations. We left a message for Deputy Chief Young, but didn’t hear back from him. The mayor’s office was closed for the weekend.
Registration is closed for Common Ground: Building Together conference and gala award banquet in San Francisco on January 24. A shoutout to our planning committee: Jane Chin, Frank Mah, Jeannie Young, Akemi Tamanaha, Nathan Soohoo, Mark Young, Dave Liu, and Yiming Fu.
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