August 9, 2024
26-year-old Korean American Victoria Lee was suffering a mental health crisis when her family called 911 asking for medical assistance. Instead, she was shot dead by police. Stop AAPI Hate sends our deepest condolences to Victoria’s loved ones and support their calls for a thorough investigation.
We are outraged by the aggressive response from police. Victoria’s family emphasizes that her death was preventable and that she did not pose a threat. Concerned for Victoria’s safety around police officers, her mother and brother said they specifically requested an ambulance for transportation to a hospital rather than law enforcement. They repeatedly asked the officers not to enter the apartment — but instead, they say the police forcefully kicked in the door and shot Victoria almost immediately. The ambulance reportedly did not arrive until after she was already shot.
We are also deeply alarmed about the growing threat of police violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In the last five months alone, Nyah Mway of Utica, Win Rozario of Queens, and Yong Yang of Los Angeles were killed by police. In two of those cases, the victims were also experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health is a serious problem among AA/PI communities as well as with Black, Indigenous, and Latino/x people made worse when police officers answer calls for help with brutal violence.
We call on our leaders to invest in more effective mental health responses that ensure appropriate care that is in-language and culturally-responsive is provided.
