A South Korean woman with bipolar disorder was fatally shot by police in New Jersey, sparking controversy over potential “excessive force.”
According to reports from the Korean American Association of New Jersey, a 26-year-old Korean woman living in a Fort Lee apartment was fatally shot by a local police officer in the early morning of July 28th.
The victim’s family, aware that she had been struggling with bipolar disorder, called for an ambulance to take her to the hospital as her condition worsened. The 911 dispatcher informed them that, per protocol, police officers would accompany the medical responders.
Upon hearing that the police were coming, the victim abruptly refused to go to the hospital and grabbed a small folding pocket knife.
The family instructed 911 to ensure that police would not misunderstand the situation, but when the officers arrived, they forcibly broke down the front door and shot the victim. She was later taken to the hospital, where she passed away.
The family claims that the victim had no history of violent behavior and that she did not intend to threaten anyone with the pocket knife. They also stated that they did not open the door for the responding officers, preferring to wait until the victim calmed down. According to the family, by the time the police forced entry, the victim had already dropped the knife.
A week after the incident, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office released the name of the officer involved in the shooting and is currently investigating whether the police response was lawful.
On Wednesday, the Korean American Association of New Jersey held a press conference with the family’s lawyer at its office, urging authorities to release the police bodycam footage and conduct a transparent investigation into the incident.
They stated, “It is a tragic incident that defies common sense, where the police used force first in response to the family’s request for an ambulance to transport the woman to the hospital.”
A similar incident in Los Angeles heightened concerns within the local Korean community in May. A 40-year-old Korean man was shot and killed by police after his family called for assistance with his mental health treatment. This event also sparked significant alarm among community members.
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