Body cam video shows fatal Fort Lee police shooting unfolded in seconds
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Newly released police video shows a Fort Lee, New Jersey, officer firing the single shot that killed a 25-year-old woman last month within seconds of police breaking down an apartment door and just after the woman threatened to stab them.
Five videos and two 911 calls released late last week show how quickly the episode unfolded after a call for mental health help. At one point, the woman’s family sought to call off police and have 911 send only an ambulance.
Fort Lee police officer Tony Pickens Jr. shot Victoria Lee shortly after police breeched the apartment door around 1 a.m., according to a statement from state Attorney General Matt Platkin. Lee was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after.
The video showing the lead-up to the fatal shooting included an officer knocking on Lee’s door and then saying he was going to break it down.
“Go ahead. I’ll stab you” in the neck, a woman’s voice can be heard saying from behind the door.
“We don’t want to shoot you. We want to talk to you,” an officer replied.
Officers outside then discussed who among them would use lethal and less-than-lethal force, and the officer who knocked on the door then shoves it several times with his shoulder.
In the video, the door opens and officers yell for Lee to drop a knife. The video shows Lee holding a large water jug in her right hand that she swings toward the police. The gunshot came three seconds after the door opened and Lee then fell to the ground.
The video also shows a silver-bladed knife being tossed out of the apartment. It’s not clear where the knife was or who tossed it outside.
One of the 911 recordings that Platkin’s office released contains a man saying he needs help for his sister, who was in the midst of a mental health crisis. He said only an ambulance was needed, but the dispatcher said law enforcement would be sent to keep ambulance workers safe.
The man called back to ask if he could cancel the police, but was told the call couldn’t be canceled. Asked why he wanted to call it off, the man said his sister had a knife and described it as a small, foldable one.
A message was left Monday with an attorney representing Lee’s family as well as with the police union that represents officers in Fort Lee.
Under state law, Platkin is required to investigate the death and present findings to a grand jury to determined whether the officer who fired should be indicted.