New Jersey’s attorney general‘s office has launched an investigation into the death of a woman who was fatally shot by police officers responding to a 911 call about a mental health crisis in Fort Lee over the weekend, according to New York Times.
The incident took place early on Sunday morning when a man called 911, reporting that his sister was experiencing a mental health crisis and was wielding a knife.Officers from the Fort Lee police department were sent to the Pinnacle apartment complex at 69 Main Street shortly after 1.25 am, according to a statement from attorney general Matthew J. Platkin.
Upon arrival, one of the officers spoke with the caller in the hallway before opening the apartment door, where he encountered two women inside. The women, who has not been publicly identified, requested that the officer leave and closed the door. The officer then stood outside, knocking and asking the women to open the door while waiting for other officers to arrive.
The situation escalated quickly when police breached the door. According to the statement, the sister of the caller approached the officers in the hallway, prompting one officer to shoot her once in the chest. She was given medical aid at the scene and was subsequently transported to Englewood hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A knife was recovered from the scene by investigators. The exact circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear.
This incident follows a similar case in Illinois on July 6, where Sonya Massey was also killed by police following a 911 call about a mental health crisis. The recent fatal shooting has sparked public outrage and protests.
New Jersey’s Arrive Together programme, which pairs law enforcement with mental health specialists for crisis calls, was not active in Fort Lee at the time. The programme operates across all 21 New Jersey counties and has handled over 4,000 interactions since its initiation.
Paula Rogovin, 76, co-founder of Teaneck Peace and Justice Vigil, expressed her frustration with the police response. “It is just wrong,” she said. “It has to stop.” Rogovin emphasised the availability of local training on mental health crisis response and called for an end to such tragedies.
The attorney general’s office has yet to provide further details on the investigation.
The incident took place early on Sunday morning when a man called 911, reporting that his sister was experiencing a mental health crisis and was wielding a knife.Officers from the Fort Lee police department were sent to the Pinnacle apartment complex at 69 Main Street shortly after 1.25 am, according to a statement from attorney general Matthew J. Platkin.
Upon arrival, one of the officers spoke with the caller in the hallway before opening the apartment door, where he encountered two women inside. The women, who has not been publicly identified, requested that the officer leave and closed the door. The officer then stood outside, knocking and asking the women to open the door while waiting for other officers to arrive.
The situation escalated quickly when police breached the door. According to the statement, the sister of the caller approached the officers in the hallway, prompting one officer to shoot her once in the chest. She was given medical aid at the scene and was subsequently transported to Englewood hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A knife was recovered from the scene by investigators. The exact circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear.
This incident follows a similar case in Illinois on July 6, where Sonya Massey was also killed by police following a 911 call about a mental health crisis. The recent fatal shooting has sparked public outrage and protests.
New Jersey’s Arrive Together programme, which pairs law enforcement with mental health specialists for crisis calls, was not active in Fort Lee at the time. The programme operates across all 21 New Jersey counties and has handled over 4,000 interactions since its initiation.
Paula Rogovin, 76, co-founder of Teaneck Peace and Justice Vigil, expressed her frustration with the police response. “It is just wrong,” she said. “It has to stop.” Rogovin emphasised the availability of local training on mental health crisis response and called for an end to such tragedies.
The attorney general’s office has yet to provide further details on the investigation.
Source : Times of India
