Lawsuit seeks accountability after family’s call for mental health assistance is met with police officers’ unjustified use of lethal force, causing the tragic death of 25-year-old Victoria Lee
(FORT LEE, NJ) — The national civil rights law firm Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP and the Lee Law Firm filed a wrongful death lawsuit today on behalf of the estate of Victoria Lee, a 25-year-old woman who was killed on July 28, 2024 by Fort Lee Police Department (FLPD) officers who were sent in response to a 911 call for mental health help, but instead of assisting Victoria, broke down her apartment door and fatally shot her in the chest two minutes after their arrival.
“Individuals experiencing a mental health episode or crisis deserve to access services without the threat of violence, and their families should be able to call for help without the fear that such a call will end in their loved one’s death at the hands of police,” said Amelia Green, a partner with Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP. “Instead of transporting Victoria to the hospital for the mental health treatment her family requested, Fort Lee police officers violated some of the most basic and fundamental police rules, breaking down her apartment door without any basis to do so and using unjustifiable lethal force.”
Victoria Lee’s lawsuit addresses the known, systemic dangers of police responding to individuals experiencing mental health symptoms. According to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, two out of every three use-of-force incidents by law enforcement, and more than half of all fatal police encounters, involve someone experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues. As a result of these risks, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of New Jersey have issued clear directives on how to safely navigate police encounters with individuals experiencing mental health symptoms to avoid the unnecessary use of force—directives the complaint says the Borough of Fort Lee and FLPD officers violated.
Victoria, who was 25 years old at the time of her death, was a beloved daughter and sister and part of a close-knit family. She was a cellist who loved music and spent her free time writing and recording songs. In the early morning hours of July 28, 2024, Victoria was home with her mother, Sukri Lee, and her brother, Chris Lee, when she began experiencing mental health symptoms. Her family called 911 to request that Victoria be transported to a mental health clinic so she could receive treatment. During the call, Victoria’s family made clear to dispatch services that Victoria was not posing a threat to anyone, and that they were requesting an ambulance—not police. Nevertheless, contrary to the family’s request, Fort Lee sent an armed squad of FLPD officers to Victoria’s apartment.
The complaint details how FLPD officers broke down Victoria’s apartment door and fatally shot her—only two minutes after their arrival at the scene. In doing so, the FLPD officers not only violated standard police rules in using excessive deadly force, but completely failed to follow the de-escalation protocols required when responding to a person experiencing a mental health episode. Instead of communicating calmly, or consulting with Victoria’s family members to assess the situation and safely interact with Victoria, the officers did the opposite. They yelled and repeatedly banged on the door, causing Victoria further distress. The officers also ignored Victoria’s mother when she asked the police not to enter. Rather than calling a mental health professional, or slowing down the interaction—as de-escalation protocols require—the officers hurriedly forced entry without any legal basis to do so. They did so despite seeing that Victoria posed no threat to anyone, and without any plan for what to do once inside her apartment. Just three seconds after breaching the door, the FLPD officers unjustifiably fired a bullet into Victoria’s chest. Victoria died that same morning.
“When Victoria needed mental health assistance, we did what any family member would do—we called 911 so that Victoria could receive the care she needed. We can only hope that this lawsuit will bring the FLPD officers to justice, and that this will never happen to someone like Victoria again,” said Sukri Lee, mother of Victoria Lee.
“Victoria was a thoughtful, kind, and hard-working young woman who cared deeply for her friends and family. She was the light of our lives, and she was wrongfully taken from us. We are pursuing this civil rights suit to demand full accountability and to ensure that no other family has to endure this unimaginable pain,” said Kyungyong Lee, father of Victoria Lee.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, seeks damages for the violation of Victoria’s federal and state constitutional rights, as well as discrimination claims under federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
Plaintiff Kyungyong Lee, as administrator of the Estate of Victoria Lee, along with Sukri Lee and Chris Lee, are represented by attorneys Amelia Green, Emma Freudenberger, Alaizah Koorji, and Grace Paras, and paralegal Nancy Mvogo Mbala of Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, and attorney Jae Lee of the Lee Law Firm. The lawsuit is available here.
The defendants named in the complaint are the Borough of Fort Lee and Fort Lee Police Department Officer Tony Pickens, Jr., Sergeant Hyou Joon Lee, Officer Nicholas Cima, Officer Michael Scicutella, Sergeant George Koutroubinis, and John and Jane Doe Officers, in their individual capacities.