Cases in point many of the homeless or the homeless epidemic which began in the late 1970's was a direct result of Liberal Judges overturning involuntary committal laws where families could once call mental health facilities to come and get a family member who needed help. Families hands thanks to the courts and new state and federal laws have their hands tied and so do professionals. Thus it then became a police matter to deal with. Police didn't ask for this it was forced upon them. If by some small miracle a person finally ends up in an emergency room and the doctor says the patient needs to be hospitalized they can only be held without court order 24-72 hours in most states. Oh and an ambulance will not transport them rather most states use LEO to transport them to a mental health facility.
All the patient has to do is stay there a short few hours or days and say they do not feel like harming themselves or others and legally they must be released.
Families hands are tied. It takes court orders for involuntary committals and that take money and LAWYERS on the families part and a willing Judge.
Cops are now doing what should be mental health crisis responders jobs thanks too Bleeding Heart Liberals. The same BHL's who will Boo Hoo and cry foul about police having to use deadly force when a mental health professional may have been able to defuse it. The nice young men in the clean white coats used to handle these crisis. They were trained to take down patients and had the time to wait them out.
There are no winners in these situations. These situations should not be police matters but police were given the job by default by the courts rulings.
A lot of the suicide by cop incidents are by patients who do not belong being unmonitored and unassisted out in society. Put them in a controlled environment {such as group, assisted living, or nursing home, geared to handle their needs where meds are monitored and most are gentle as Lambs. But the very nature of many illnesses requiring this is for them not to be responsible enough nor have enough understanding to realize they must stay on their medications for theirs and others well being and safety. That is what causes these incidents to happen.
The blame is being misplaced and the laws need to be fixed where families can once again do intervention with mental health professionals and mental health professionals can once again head off these crisis before they become such.
If a person can understand this they have a thousand times better understanding of the issues than the courts, lawmakers, judges, and patients rights activist do gooders who caused this mess to start with. What has been done in the name of patients rights is cruel and immoral.
I had wondered if police had stopped killing citizens and dogs, essentially on whim, when the Ferguson thing came up. No. They didn’t.
I hate to re-iterate rule #1, but in Texas never bring a knife to a gun fight. The guy with the knife usually loses unless he is swift of hand or foot and/or the other guy is slow or a terrible shot.
This incident was a split second decision and an unplanned commitment by both parties. Once the machete swinging starts and blood is drawn, you can’t say hold my gun while I get out my taser. Sadly, this guy was trying to kill them at the point he was killed. And don’t say they should have shot to wound him. They’re not trained to wound an assailant. Of course, not being there, it’s only my opinion, your mileage may vary.
Obviously, the events prior to this confrontation are in question and should be reviewed to prevent future confrontations from escalating to this point. But once blood is drawn, its survival of the strongest. Not very civilized, but it happens.
I wonder how Barney Fife would have handled this incident?
Have a nice day.
Hell - I’m 62 and am willing to bet that I could have subdued him, without help and without killing him. This kind of thing seems to happen far more often than the good shoots that get the Blacks all het up.
He might hurt himself so you guys shoot him....for his own safety.
This is why you should take your medication
It's getting very confusing.
Oh, Bravo Sierra.
I do not care if he was sane or mentally ill, white black, brown or tattooed.
When someone attacks armed officers with a machette, they are most likely going to be shot...and for good reason.
I’m thinking crisis negotiator or psychiatrist to deal with the mentally I’ll rather than combat troops but that’s just me.
Ping.