Rep. Andy Kim attends Fort Lee roundtable on public safety after Victoria Lee shooting

Rep. Andy Kim, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, took part in a Friday roundtable with community advocates in Fort Lee to talk about public safety in the wake of the police-involved shooting of Victoria Lee.

Lee, 25, was killed by police in her home in July. Her family had called 911 for help because she was in the midst of a mental health crisis.

Kim acknowledged that he is approaching the topic with “humility” and said people should not “grow numb” to incidents like what happened to Lee.

“I wanted to come up to be able to show my support for the community, who are trying to navigate this incredibly tough time and to show my commitment and whatever level I can do certainly at the federal level to be able to push forward,” he said. “We know no single level of government is going to be able to solve this problem on its own and it requires a comprehensive approach.”

Kim is running for the U.S. Senate seat once held by former Sen. Bob Menendez.

What did participants say?

Joon Chung, a member of the Harrington Park council, pointed out that often government is “one step too late” and though there is sometimes funding available, it doesn’t “translate to communities” in exactly the ways needed.

Kim said that what happened in Fort Lee should serve as a “catalyst to be able to once and for all have a standard across our state which then ultimately can serve as a model for municipalities across the country.”

There needs to be more accountability as well, according to Asia Marche, an advocacy and policy liaison for Black Lives Matter Paterson.

The idea that public safety should be more focused on empowering communities to keep themselves safe is another point highlighted by Yannick Wood, director of criminal justice reform at New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. He spoke of instead using mental health first responders.

Kim acknowledged that there is a mental health crisis throughout the country and that more emphasis needs to be placed on growing the mental health workforce.

The congressman said afterward that the community is showing a “hunger for more resources” and a “desire for change.”

“It’s about a fundamental shifting in the minds here in this community but also across New Jersey and frankly across our country about how are we going to deal with mental health challenges and I think that’s something that we as a country have not tackled or addressed in any deep meaningful way,” Kim said.

He said there is recognition in Congress that mental health is an issue that needs to be addressed and he’s grateful New Jersey is a state that requires an investigation in cases like this one.

Kim also said he plans to have a sit-down with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland soon and will mention this as an issue New Jersey faces.

Platkin issues directive: Attorney general issues new rules on use of force, weeks after death of Victoria Lee

Victoria Lee's death

Lee died after being shot by a police in her home in July during a mental health crisis.

When Lee’s brother was told by a dispatcher an ambulance and officers would be sent, he said "just an ambulance" would be fine, but the dispatcher informed him that the officers must be sent for the safety of ambulance personnel.

During a second call, the brother told the dispatcher his sister was holding a knife. Body camera footage released by the state attorney general’s office showed that several officers responded to the call, and when they announced that they would break the door down, someone inside responded that she would stab the officer in the neck.

Footage showed that when Lee and her mother opened the door, Lee was holding a plastic water jug. Police told her to "drop the knife," and as she walked toward them one shot was fired and Lee fell to the ground as water spilled from the jug she was holding in her right hand. The officers pulled Lee out into the hallway and seemingly began to administer medical aid.

One officer called out for towels. In multiple videos, a pocket knife can be seen being tossed by an officer out of the apartment into the hallway.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued a new directive two weeks ago geared toward trying to “stabilize” interactions between police and barricaded people.

Police will have to bring a mental health professional on calls with a barricaded person and then wait instead of forcing their way inside. They will also have to bring less lethal weapons and alert a supervisor.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rep. Andy Kim attends Fort Lee roundtable on public safety after Victoria Lee shooting