I just read another headline regarding the police being called in order to help with a mentally ill individual. As with a previous stories, the police shot and killed the mentally ill person upon arriving.
I totally get that the cops have a split second to make a decision and that they want to be the one left standing but when dealing with these unfortunate people don't they have some guidelines they could go by rather than bullets, like tasers or stun gun or maybe some of those bean bag bullets or whatever they are called? Must they always shoot the people who are out of their minds?
I'm just so sick of seeing these very sad stories and I can't help but feel there has got to be a better way.
How about the people that have a nutcase in their house taze them themselves then call the cops.
I don't know the specifics on the case your talking about, but there is a lot to keep in mind. Some things: Those folks are crazy and some are strong as hell. I have had to subdue a couple of them and holy shit, they can hurt you very quickly. There is nothing written that says a cop has to get hurt rather that pop the guy that has gone off on him. Sometimes there is nothing to stop them other than causing them great harm.
Not saying this is the deal all the time, but it is on every cops mind when he knows he has to go up against one of them. Sometimes the cop is a chicken shit, was it me I would take them one at a time and see what is what...
(02-05-2016, 02:17 PM)Duchess Wrote: [ -> ]I'm just so sick of seeing these very sad stories and I can't help but feel there has got to be a better way.
It happens too often. Being mentally ill and acting strangely isn't criminal in itself and certainly should not warrant a death sentence.
But, it's encouraging that leaders -- Republicans, Democrats, Independents alike -- are voicing agreement that there has got to be a better way. It's past time, but better late than never.
The Chicago PD is introducing a 40 hour mental illness crisis intervention course for its officers as a result of several killings of unarmed mentally-ill or addicted subjects from a far distance; subjects who weren't posing an immediate threat (at least one was naked and crouched on the ground, FFS).
Other PDs have already implemented such training courses for their officers and hopefully more will follow.
My God. Naked and crouched and they still shot him. That's outrageous. I don't know how they can justify that. It's sickening.
Yea, thats a little over the line
(02-05-2016, 09:15 PM)Duchess Wrote: [ -> ]My God. Naked and crouched and they still shot him. That's outrageous. I don't know how they can justify that. It's sickening.
They couldn't justify it; not this time. The Georgia cop who killed the naked, unarmed, mentally ill, young Air Force vet Anthony Hill was indicted and has been charged. The case is covered in the POLICE BRUTALITY thread. Very sad story.
Cops killing these unarmed people is not a minor problem across the country. I see it happening over & over again. Every now and then I come across a story where a LEO has exhibited some self control but those stories are outnumbered by the stories where cops empty their guns into these people.
I don't really think the cops kill these folks more than not, could but I don't really think so. What I do see is a shitload of them getting arrested over and over, penned up for a bit and then back on the street (thats a whole different discussion)
I think you just do not hear about the ones when the cop does not shoot.
Yes its a problem, one that we should not have, but I don't think its as big as you seem to
I'm not exactly sure what I want now. Better training maybe. I'm uncomfortable asking for restraint when restraint could cost them their life.
There is never anything wrong with better or more training, it should be a continuous requirement.
Time is an unfortunate piece of the puzzle that the police have to deal with when dealing with any situation and even more so with crazy, deranged, drugged up or whatever suspects are involved. The cops #1 job is to make sure he gets to go home every day though and sometimes that means the other guy doesn't.