Candlelight vigil held for woman shot, killed during police-involved shooting in Fort Lee, NJ
FORT LEE, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey community held a candlelight vigil for a woman killed during a police-involved shooting in New Jersey over the summer.
Friends and family of Victoria Lee gathered in her hometown of Fort Lee on Saturday to march on what would've been her 26th birthday.
In July, police responded to the Pinnacle Apartment Complex on Main Street after a man reported that his sister was having a mental health crisis and needed to go to the hospital.
Officers met the man in the hallway and when they tried to open the door to the apartment, they saw two women, one appearing to be Lee, the sister. The women told the responding officer not to come in and shut door and the officer complied and stood outside knocking and asking the women to open the door while other officers arrived.
When the women would not comply, the police eventually opened the door.
As Lee approached the police in the hallway, an officer fired a single shot and she was struck in the chest.
Authorities say Lee was holding a knife during the time of the shooting. However, Lee's family says she was not being violent, and had dropped the knife before officers broke down the apartment door.
"Just because the law enforcement agents put their lives on the line, it does not mean our lives should be on the line when we call 911," said one man during the vigil.
Another woman who spoke at the event talked about the need for change.
"This act of violence is a stark reminder of the urgent need for accountability and reform in our system," she said.
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office in August released body camera footage and audio recordings of two 911 calls relating to the incident.
The Attorney General's Office is still investigating the fatal shooting.
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