Mental health officer was unable to arrive before fatal police shooting, Austin police say
When Austin police received a 911 call Wednesday saying a resident in a downtown condominium building was having a mental breakdown, authorities say an officer with specialized mental health training was called to the scene.
But the only available mental health officer was assisting on another call at the time. As that officer headed to the scene, a group of officers shot the man in the building’s gym while he held a large kitchen knife, police officials said. The 46-year-old man, whom police have not yet identified, died minutes later at the hospital.
Experts say the fatal police shooting illustrates a problem a recent study on Austin’s mental health response found: Austin police need more support from mental health professionals when they respond to calls involving people who are having mental health crises.
The report was conducted in part because a 2018 audit found that Austin has one of the highest rates of fatal police shootings involving people suffering from mental health issues and concluded that the Austin Police Department’s mental health policies are not in line with widely accepted law enforcement practices.
Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20190801/mental-health-officer-was-unable-to-arrive-before-fatal-police-shooting-austin-police-say
