Family of 25-year-old woman fatally shot by Fort Lee police says she was unarmed

FORT LEE, New Jersey (WABC) — The family of a woman shot dead by police in Fort Lee, New Jersey says she was not armed and was holding a plastic water jug when she was shot.

A Fort Lee officer fired the shot that killed 25-year-old Victoria Lee inside her family’s apartment at The Pinnacle complex on Main Street on July 28.

Her family says her brother had called for an ambulance, because Lee was having a manic episode, and had picked up a small pocketknife.

However, the family says she was not being violent, and had dropped the knife before officers broke down the apartment door.

They say the officer fired the shot almost immediately after opening the door, striking Lee in the chest.

The family says police made no effort to assess, or de-escalate the situation after opening the door.

They are now pressing the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office to be thorough with its investigation.

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