Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Victoria Lee
Age : 25
Gender : Female
Race : Asian
Date : 07/28/2024
Location : The Pinnacle apartments on Main Street
City : Fort Lee
County : Bergen
State : New Jersey
Agency : Fort Lee Police Department
Officer(s) :Tony G. Pickens, Jr.
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during mental health crisis
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 07/28/2024, Fort Lee Police Department officers responded to The Pinnacle apartments after Victoria Lee's brother called 911 requesting medical assistance because she was experiencing a mental health crisis. During the call, he advised dispatch that Lee had access to a small folding knife. Before officers entered the apartment, Lee and her mother told them not to come inside and closed the door.
Officers forced entry into the apartment. Shortly after the door was breached, Officer Tony G. Pickens Jr. fired a single shot, striking 25-year-old Victoria Lee in the chest. She was transported to Englewood Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Attorney General later released body-worn camera footage, conducted energy device video, radio traffic, and 911 recordings from the incident. Lee's family disputed the police account, stating she was holding only a plastic water bottle when she was shot and that officers unnecessarily escalated the encounter by forcing entry instead of continuing de-escalation efforts. They have maintained that Victoria was experiencing a mental health crisis and primarily posed a danger to herself rather than to others.
The Attorney General's Office conducted the investigation and presented the case to a state grand jury. In July 2025, the grand jury voted not to indict Officer Tony G. Pickens Jr., concluding no criminal charges would be filed.
In July 2026, Victoria Lee's family filed a federal wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit against the Borough of Fort Lee and several police officers, alleging excessive force, failure to use appropriate de-escalation techniques, and violations of Lee's constitutional rights. The civil litigation remains pending.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://abc7ny.com/post/investigation-underway-after-woman-killed-police-fort-lee/15116059/
