News New Report: Half Of Those Killed In Us Police Shootings Have Mental Disability

[Justmehere]

A devastating report has come out to show that half of the people killed in police shootings in the US have a mental disability. This article about the report specifically references an someone with PTSD being killed: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...olice-suffer-mental-disability-report-n538371



My opinions on the article and study findings:

Posting this is not meant as a knock on officers, but I believe is important info about a complex problem that is going to require complex solutions. Many officers do a great job, and many need more support and better training. A handful of bad apples need to be addressed by a justice system that will do a better job holding them accountable.

From the angle of a PTSD forum, I feel it is important to not lose sight of the reality that other studies have shown domestic law enforcement in the US has higher rates of PTSD than even veterans returning from active combat. I don't think this is causing these shootings to happen, but it does show that this is a difficult job that leaves wounds on all sides. And yes, black and blue lives matter and all lives matter and it's sad this even has to be said, because of course they all matter.

It is stunning that no one is declaring #diaabledlivesmatter at nearly the same rate as everyone else.

It's also incorrect to assume mental illness makes people more violent. Of course mental illness plays a role in some violent crimes. However, as I posted about in this thread, https://www.myptsd.com/threads/help-me-with-my-math.56668/, people with mental illness as group are much less likely to commit violent crimes than those without a mental illness.

 

[hodge]

Thank you for posting this. Very disturbing to have my suspicions validated. It's not only law enforcement officers, but firefighters also bear a brunt in certain violent areas of some cities. My firefighter uncle told stories about being shot at just for driving an ambulance to take someone to the hospital. This does not excuse police officers for killing people when they don't have to. It's a mess. So many tragedies.

 

[scout86]

We've had a couple cases, locally, where the police shot people who were suicidal. I don't mean "suicide by cop". These were both cases, near as I can tell, where the police were called on a welfare check and the person being checked on was killed by the police. "Armed person behaving erratically."

There's a lot about this that bothers me. I've gotten the impression that the police are quick to lay hands on people these days. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't react calmly to that, you know? There was an interview recently with the head of the police union of a regional big city. His chief had just announced the change to emphasize descalation in training. He was mad. He said they already do that. Hee said, when people call 911, they want the police to solve the problem, not spend, a bunch of time trying to talk to some troublemaker. I find that a bit alarming. But I think that attitude might explain how some people get shot too.

 

[joeylittle]

Not to knock the news article, but it's skewing some important info.

The source for most of the facts in it can be found here: Link Removed

The data is specifically limited to reports in the media of shootings involving persons with disabilities (since there is no formal mechanism for tracking that data)

I am not saying that there isn't an issue here; only that the article is very general, and the source material is much more specific (and worth a read, if one is interested in such things).

 

[Neverthesame]

I read a story somewhere (actually, I think it was here) from a woman, who's husband/sufferer barricaded himself in their bedroom (I believe he was armed as well) during a meltdown.

I'm going to try to recall this as best I can. I read this years ago, so I might be a bit off on a few details.

The woman comes home to find her kids on the front step. Her husband had told them to stay there, as he didn't want to accidentally harm them. She then calls the police, to try to get her husband out of the house, to hospital. Without anyone getting hurt.

(My memory is a bit hazy here. Either the woman phoned him, or he happened to hear the call on the radio. I don't remember which.)

The local sheriff, who knew the barricaded man. Took charge of the call, ordered all the officers dispatched to the scene, to remain a fair distance from the residence and wait for his arrival before approaching the scene.

This sheriff then personally went in alone, and was able to talk the barricaded man out. Where he was then transported to hospital for psychiatric care. No one was harmed.

I loved this story, wish I could find it again, so I can bookmark it.

It's also highlights a sad reality of the issue brought up in this thread.
As it is likely, the story would have had a very different ending had the sheriff not known the barricaded man.

In large cities it is almost certain to be the case, that the officer will not know the person they are dealing with. With subduing a suspect, rather than de-escalation being an increasingly common tactic employed by police when dealing with an agitated person. Accidentally injuring or killing a mentally ill or disabled person is a problem that will not solve itself.

I know that in the US, over the last couple decades. More and more facilities for people suffering severe psychiatric problems, are being closed down. Sadly prisons are being used to take up the slack.

People too unstable to care for themselves, being incarcerated for their own safety, not because they have been convicted of felonies. Because there is no where else to house them. Is a terrifying thought. From what I understand, prison rules remain constant, the mentally ill are treated the same way as the convicted felons that they share the facility with.

While I'm sure most aren't being mistreated per sè. They are not granted any greater freedom either. This is what I have heard, I have not seen for myself. I may be wrong.

I just hope I never end up in such a situation. Being hospitalised is bad enough, I don't want to end up in a actual prison for just being crazy. Or beaten half to death or killed, because I have a meltdown somewhere inconvenient.

EDIT: Just in case it's not clear from my post. I have emmense respect for the police and the job they do. I am not shitting on them. I firmly believe these issues and tragedies are most often a result of either a accident, or improper training. I don't belive the police are deliberately running amok, maiming and killing the mentally ill. Those that are, are a very small minority, of the caring and hard working police officer's on our streets everyday.

 

[Ka-9]

A devastating report has come out to show that half of the people killed in police shootings in the...

I greatly appreciate you mentioning the stats on PTSD in policing, or in comparison to even military numbers.... I still feel like I'm a bit guilty from time to time- but it makes sense to me, the long slow grind punctuated with extreme vs. an intense short sprint of it I guess.

For what it's worth, suicide by cop thing will greatly accelerate those kinds of stats. I had literally dozens of times when you have a guy wanting/or at least pushing it too the extreme, lunging with the knife, holding a gun at his side etc. In nearly every one I probably "should have" fired to be honest- according to the rules anyways, but I felt confident enough to risk it a bit. I bet most police do the same....wait to the extremes before shooting, but it's an extreme waste of life.

We had one fatal incident where a guy was later confirmed to have suffered a mental illness. He had a gun to his head outside a doctor's home...... he ended up shoting himself, and only after we realized it was one of our own guys. No one knew he was suffering an extremely advanced illness.

 

[Freedomfighter]

A devastating report has come out to show that half of the people killed in police shootings in the...

Yes, that is what some people may think when they read these reports: that mental illness makes people more violent. But what these articles do not communicate is the fact that many police departments out there are worse than the mafia itself. They have tons of cash and drugs on their hands, availability corrupts, they can use criminals to fulfill their own sick diversions of justice. Most people do not know that. Have been harassed by cops before because some sick security people that I reported a crime to used to be ex cops: ergo: now I have sick police officers following my vehicle because somehow they are just not able to erase the truth.

Couldn't believe that some of these types were so cunning that they had actually done this for the past 6 years, only recently that I evaluated the words that the previous predator used in conjunction with the same words used than the accomplices have. I now finally figured out what it means. Predators will engulf your brain with lies, lies, lies until you do not know what is up or down. And every time they sense that they can not get into your life they will try to pry and pry to get their way.
I would have never thought that someone could actually attempt to do that for over six years, the same person that I had reported the crime of another to, decided to simply attack a victim that was already on the verge of death and committed the same crimes than the original predator. It sickens me to my stomach to think about it. This person has attempted to hurt me for over six years and just now I am realizing who it really was, sickening.

 

[sedna]

Not to knock the news article, but it's skewing some important info.

The source for most of the fac...

This article is disingenuous. Frankly, thats the kind of propaganda that we never look for when we think we're doing unbiased fact-finding.

There is a subtle prompting there for the public to look for an issue that may create reasonable confusion for officers in unwarranted shootings.

The reality is the numbers aren't that high and the victims without mental health issues, that are shot fatally, by police officers that were incompetent in that moment that they pulled the trigger, are higher than we as a nation want to admit.