How police can avoid shooting the mentally ill

[Kathi]

This is an opinion article.What do you think of it?Do you think the police are too hasty in shooting those who are mentally ill?Do you think the police need more training in handling these incidents?How could this be done?


http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/opinion/perry-police-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

 

[Gary]

This is an opinion article.What do you think of it?Do you think the police are too hasty in shooting those who are mentally ill?Do you think the police need more training in handling these incidents?How could this be done?

No. There's no way of knowing, just by looking at them, who is and who isn't mentally ill.

And if someone is coming at me with the intent of doing bodily harm, he goes down.
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[Kathi]

No. There's no way of knowing, just by looking at them, who is and who isn't mentally ill.
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Yes,but their physical looks but what about their behavior?

 

[reba]

Kathi how do the mental behave?

 

[Gary]

Yes,but their physical looks but what about their behavior?

That's not always an indicator either. You ever see someone that's stoned or drunk or just having a bad day in general?
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[Kathi]

Kathi how do the mental behave?

Alot of times they have erratic behavior.Look at the guy who shot all those in the movie theatre.How many people have orange hair and think they are the joker?

 

[Kathi]

That's not always an indicator either. You ever see someone that's stoned or drunk or just having a bad day in general?
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Would erratic behavior be something to take a look at?Maybe the police could be trained on looking for this.If someone is drunk or stoned ok but it is better to be safe than sorry.Especially where the families are concerned.

 

[Gary]

Alot of times they have erratic behavior.Look at the guy who shot all those in the movie theatre.How many people have orange hair and think they are the joker?

Society has evolved to such a point that we don't even notice these people anymore. They have become a part of the norm in today's society.
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[reba]

Alot of times they have erratic behavior.Look at the guy who shot all those in the movie theatre.How many people have orange hair and think they are the joker?

Ride the bus in San Francisco you might be surprised..

 

[jasonc]

Ride the bus in San Francisco you might be surprised..

I don't have to go that far. I have a few of those types here.

 

[Gary]

Would erratic behavior be something to take a look at?Maybe the police could be trained on looking for this.If someone is drunk or stoned ok but it is better to be safe than sorry.Especially where the families are concerned.

Families need to keep a leash on family members that suffer from mental illness. The police have enough to worry about without worrying whether they're facing a mentally ill person or not.

In one of the videos I posted, from the time the police arrived to the time of the shooting was about 10 seconds. That's not very much time to do a mental evaluation. Especially when the man is coming at you with a knife.


Just my opinion.
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[Kathi]

Society has evolved to such a point that we don't even notice these people anymore. They have become a part of the norm in today's society.
.

That is true.Alot of things in our world has become the norm.....unfortunately.

 

[Kathi]

Ride the bus in San Francisco you might be surprised..

Surprised of all those who are displaying that behavior?I am sure that the buses in Oregon are very similar.

 

[Kathi]

Families need to keep a leash on family members that suffer from mental illness. The police have enough to worry about without worrying whether they're facing a mentally ill person or not.

In one of the videos I posted, from the time the police arrived to the time of the shooting was about 10 seconds. That's not very much time to do a mental evaluation. Especially when the man is coming at you with a knife.


Just my opinion.
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Depending on the illness sometimes that is very difficult to "keep a leash on them".The families do have a responsibity to make sure that the person with the illness is safe at all times and also the family member.Do you know what all the professionals tell you?"If you or your ill family member is not safe call 911".Now that is a safe suggestion.

 

[Willie T]

The officers may well see that the person is acting erraticly..... But is that mental illness... or drugs?

And once a person with a weapon moves to act, the officers may often have less than a second (or on rare occasions, maybe two to three) to decide, and to respond.

 

[Kathi]

Alot of the mental health professionals will say never ever have a gun in your home if their is someone is your home with a mental illness.In fact some will have a family sign a release saying their is not a gun in the home that this mentally ill person has access to.