Police shoot 13-year-old boy with autism

[SummerMadness]

A 13-year-old boy with autism was shot by police after his mother called for help managing a 'mental breakdown'

A 13-year-old boy was seriously injured after being shot by a police officer in Salt Lake City on Friday night, according to his mother.

Golda Barton said that her son Linden Cameron, who has Asperger syndrome, experienced a "mental breakdown" earlier in the day. It had been her first day back at work in nearly a year, and Linden was having trouble coping, she confirmed to CNN in an email.

Barton also confirmed she called the police and asked for a crisis intervention team to help her manage the situation and get her son treatment.

 

[The One Reborn]

A 13-year-old boy with autism was shot by police after his mother called for help managing a 'mental breakdown'

Saw this comment on reddit which seems fitting:

At this rate calling the cops is probably a cheaper and more reliable alternative to hiring a Hitman

 

[cow451]

Saw this comment on reddit which seems fitting:

At this rate calling the cops is probably a cheaper and more reliable alternative to hiring a Hitman

Most areas do not have appropriate and available services to those in a mental health crisis. So, 911 is sometimes the only option. Unfortunately, when every citizen is considered a threat, deadly force is the only tool.

The big picture is that the police aren't the cause of the problem or the solution to the problem. Mental Health problems should be addressed by communities and the nation as a public health crisis rather than criminality. But that costs money and involves the healthcare system. And we already know that it is too complicated for many policy makers.

 

[Nithavela]

 

[Arc F1]

A 13-year-old boy with autism was shot by police after his mother called for help managing a 'mental breakdown'

I think we need to wait and hear the rest of the story. Even the article brings up that there might have been a weapon involved.

 

[Nithavela]

I think we need to wait and hear the rest of the story. Even the article brings up that there might have been a weapon involved.

I'm sure they had some reason to do this and didn't just drive up there and open fire on first sight.

The problem isn't that they resorted to using their guns, the problem is that this was no job for police officers, but for trained professionals who have experience dealing with an autistic person having a mental breakdown.

 

[cow451]

I think we need to wait and hear the rest of the story. Even the article brings up that there might have been a weapon involved.

There were two weapons involved. Both officers were armed.

 

[Arc F1]

I'm sure they had some reason to do this and didn't just drive up there and open fire on first sight.

The problem isn't that they resorted to using their guns, the problem is that this was no job for police officers, but for trained professionals who have experience dealing with an autistic person having a mental breakdown.

I don't understand why she would call the police unless there was a good reason. Idk, I wasn't there and these reporters don't really investigate anymore they just crank out stories.

 

[The One Reborn]

I think we need to wait and hear the rest of the story. Even the article brings up that there might have been a weapon involved.

Police confirmed they did not find a weapon at the scene.

The only weapons involved were held by the two cops killing a child.

 

[Nithavela]

I don't understand why she would call the police unless there was a good reason. Idk, I wasn't there and these reporters don't really investigate anymore they just crank out stories.

My guess is that she dialed 911 because that's the number for any emergency in the usa, both criminal, medical, fires etc. I think the real mistake was a failure of communication either between the dispatcher and her or between the dispatcher and the responders. Or the dispatcher just had no other resources available except for cops.

 

[trunks2k]

Police confirmed they did not find a weapon at the scene.

The only weapons involved were held by the two cops killing a child.

They didn't kill him. He's seriously injured, but not dead.

 

[usexpat97]

The problem isn't that they resorted to using their guns, the problem is that this was no job for police officers, but for trained professionals who have experience dealing with an autistic person having a mental breakdown.

Disagree. That is totally THE problem that they resorted to their precious guns. If a kid's own mom is requesting help, you can always just walk away, admit defeat, and regroup. Not shoot him. It's the "admit defeat" part that the police refuse to do--preferring to shoot people instead. If they had simply walked away for a moment, they would have easily figured out that they needed a trained professional. Just step back and think for 10 minutes, guns NOT blazing.

 

[That Guy 11200]

Saw this comment on reddit which seems fitting:

At this rate calling the cops is probably a cheaper and more reliable alternative to hiring a Hitman

Or a terminally ill person could use it as a form of euthanasia.

I don't understand why she would call the police unless there was a good reason. Idk, I wasn't there and these reporters don't really investigate anymore they just crank out stories.

Perhaps she was naive enough to believe the police receive training in calming situations like this down, rather than being taught to pull their weapon out the instant things start to get heated.

 

[Arc F1]

Or a terminally ill person could use it as a form of euthanasia.



Perhaps she was naive enough to believe the police receive training in calming situations like this down, rather than being taught to pull their weapon out the instant things start to get heated.

My father in law pulled a shotgun on myself, my wife, daughter and his wife. Someone saw it and called the police. Thankfully I got the gun before they arrived. As soon as the police approached me they said its good you got the gun because if we pulled up earlier we would have shot him. I understand their position. They are there to save other people not the one wanting to do harm.

 

[That Guy 11200]

My father in law pulled a shotgun on myself, my wife, daughter and his wife. Someone saw it and called the police. Thankfully I got the gun before they arrived. As soon as the police approached me they said its good you got the gun because if we pulled up earlier we would have shot him. I understand their position. They are there to save other people not the one wanting to do harm.

Then why don't they start shooting each other?

 

[iluvatar5150]

SLCPD has released a bunch of video and the 911 call:

I haven't watched all of it, but while they had some reason to suspect that he could have been armed they clearly didn't establish that he was armed (because he wasn't) and he wasn't acting aggressively towards them.