Editorial: Three police killings in one week expose L.A.’s deadly response to mental health crisis
LA TimesAt least a third of fatal police shootings involve victims who were in mental health crisis or impaired by substance use. Mental health has been increasingly part of the police reform discussion, especially after high-profile police shootings of people who don’t respond the way officers expect, whether because of psychosis, intoxication or conditions such as autism and physical and intellectual disability. Focus on mental health stepped up in Los Angeles following the fatal shooting of Ezell Ford, a mentally ill Black man whom police shot after stopping him for questioning in 2014. And it now has in place SMART teams — Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Teams — that include county Department of Mental Health staff, who respond along with officers.
History of this topic
‘Bringing a gun to a knife fight’: LAPD continues to shoot people holding ‘edged weapon’ during mental crisis, analysis shows
LA Times
Experts Say Police Shouldn't Handle Mental Health Calls
Huff Post
L.A. promised mental health crisis response without cops. Why isn’t it happening?
LA Times
Los Angeles chief ‘deeply concerned’ by 2 police shootings
Associated Press
Los Angeles chief 'deeply concerned' by 2 police shootings
The Independent
More than a dozen cities push to minimize or even eliminate police presence at mental health calls
CNN
There’s a new approach to police response to mental health emergencies. Taking the police out of it
CNN
The death of Walter Wallace Jr proves why defunding the police makes so much sense
The Independent
When mental health emergencies end in fatal police encounters
CNN
Mental health: Why are police killing people in crisis?
Al Jazeera
Reformers want police to step back from mental health calls. The LAPD says it’s been trying
LA Times
Minnesota task force offers steps to reduce police shootings
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