Tanesha Anderson - Another Disabled Person Killed by Police

[KamaAina]

http://www.thismess.net/2014/11/tanesha-anderson-another-disabled.html

So here's the pattern. The family of a person with psychiatric disability decides that they need help. The disabled person isn't taking their medicine. They are perhaps seeming violent or might become violent. The family calls the police to ask for help getting the person to the hospital.

Police arrive. The person with the disability behaves in an unpredictable manner. The person with the disability behaves in a stubborn manner, not complying with orders the way a neurotypical person might. Police get violent. The person who the police were there to help dies or gets seriously hurt.

Add race to the equation, and the likelihood of that violence intensifies.

The newest victim of this pattern is Tanesha Anderson.

[Liberal Lolita]

1. So sad

The police in this country have become so violent, and they wonder why people protest.
The push to employ veterans as police officers has lead to a culture where police act like they are in a war zone. These types of behaviors is why America is so despised in the countries we go in to "help".
That and code of protecting officers who cross the line.
I am so sorry Tanesha Anderson!

[KamaAina]

2. Mahalo (thank you)

and welcome to DU!

[Liberal Lolita]

3. Mahola

to you too!

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

7. Apparently, my friend who works in a psych ward

should be carrying a gun.

/sarcasm

[gwheezie]

4. Terrible

there should been mental health crisis workers on call that police can call in when they encounter a mentally ill person.
I work with psych patients. The police are not trained to manage a mental health crisis. Some cops are better than others but it's a crap shoot who shows up at your house when you call for help.
Many families of the chronically mentally ill are torn between their safety or the safety of their relative.

[UglyGreed]

5. And people wonder

why some are reluctant to call

[One_Life_To_Give]

6. Risk averse policies

Years ago we expected a cop to manhandle an out of control person. These days we seem to be overly concerned about liability, time loss due to injury etc. Seems to me we have become so afraid of risks that we promote the use of Only the options which result in near zero chance of injury to the officer. Yet without regard to how doing so affects the community at large.

[Vattel]

8. In short, cowardice is the policy now.

[One_Life_To_Give]

9. Myopia

If you were to only look at the immediate issue surrounding the police force or the municipality. From a budgetary and personnel perspective keeping the employees uninjured is a good thing. But when people hyper-focus on that perspective they miss the larger issues. They don't see they are trading a few officers out on disability for more citizens disabled and/or dead.

[Vattel]

10. thx for hitting the nail on the head