The family of a New York woman who was followed to her apartment and stabbed more than 40 times has filed a lawsuit accusing police officers of standing idly by her door as she was fatally attacked.
Christina Yuna Lee, 35, died on February 13, 2022 in her Chinatown, Manhattan apartment.
Police said Assamad Nash followed Lee to her apartment around 4:20 a.m., stealthily followed her up six flights of stairs, and forced his way into her unit. Once inside her, she repeatedly stabbed her, authorities previously said. Nash has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
A complaint filed May 12 in New York County Supreme Court by Lee’s aunt and estate manager, Boksun Lee, accuses members of the NYPD of negligence in slow response and failure to immediate medical attention.
The New York police said Friday that they had no comment on the case, citing pending litigation.
Neighbors called 911 after hearing Lee’s screams, with one of those calls coming in at 4:22 a.m., the lawsuit says.
Three minutes later, two unnamed members of the NYPD from the 5th Precinct, located about three blocks from Lee’s apartment, arrived at Lee’s unit and heard her yelling for help «until she abruptly stopped yelling,» the police said. complaint.
Instead of breaking into the unit, the officers spoke to Nash through the locked door, according to the complaint.
«Despite having reason to believe that Ms. Lee’s life was in imminent danger,» the officers «were unable to enter Ms. Lee’s apartment or provide life-saving medical or police assistance at that time.» says the complaint. .
Seven other members of the NYPD arrived at 5:30 a.m., more than an hour after a neighbor called 911 and the first officers heard the woman scream, according to the complaint.
At 5:40 am, one hour and 20 minutes after Lee was attacked, members of the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit forced their way into Lee’s apartment, the lawsuit says.
She was found fatally stabbed and pronounced dead at 5:55 a.m., according to the lawsuit.
The complaint says that during and after the attack, the responding NYPD officers “refused and/or reasonably delayed in providing Ms. Lee with police assistance and emergency medical treatment that caused her pain and suffering and contributed to her his death».
He also accused New York City of failing to maintain Sara D. Roosevelt Park, located near Lee’s apartment, which had «significant public safety conditions.»
The complaint noted a stabbing death that occurred just outside the park on Oct. 16, 2021. Court documents say «dangerous conditions» at the city-operated public park «contributed to Lee’s harm and suffering.»
The New York City Legal Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit alleges wrongful death, knowing pain and suffering, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, denial or delay of medical care, and negligent hiring, selection, retention, supervision, and training of officers. The lawsuit further says that the defendants violated the New York State Constitution by depriving Lee of his life without due process of law.
The family is seeking a jury trial, unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.
Lee, a graduate of Rutgers University, was a senior creative producer at Splice, a digital music platform, Variety informed.
Nash, who was not named in the lawsuit, was charged with first-degree murder, burglary and sexually motivated robbery. He pleaded not guilty in March 2022.
Prosecutors said Nash had an extensive record in New Jersey and was on probation on three open cases at the time of Lee’s murder. If he is convicted, he faces a sentence of life in prison without parole.