Officer Fatally Shoots Woman During Mental Health Crisis Call in New Jersey

A woman was fatally shot by an officer during a mental health crisis call in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The incident, which occurred early Sunday morning, involved a woman holding a knife. The New Jersey Attorney General's office is investigating the case under a state law mandating such inquiries.

A woman was fatally shot by a police officer during a mental health crisis call in Fort Lee, New Jersey early Sunday morning, according to the state's attorney general.

A man called 911 around 1:25 am, reporting that his sister was holding a knife and needed to go to the hospital. Officers who arrived at the apartment were initially told by two women inside not to enter and had the door shut on them, according to a statement from New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin.

After the officers breached the door, the woman approached them armed with a knife, leading one officer to fire, hitting her in the chest. She was pronounced dead at Englewood Hospital. The identities of the woman and the officer involved have not been released. Under a 2019 New Jersey law, the attorney general must investigate any deaths involving police actions and present the findings to a grand jury.