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What suggestions are being ignored?

More training is great. Portland police - the vast majority - do their level best to help all the public. But Chasse was killed by Officer Humphreys - that year the 5th most violent cop in the department and #1 in beating detainees during arrest. Why does the autopsy indicate that Chasse died from Humprheys falling on him crushing his chest, but Humphreys testified he never fell on Chasse? It's pretty simple. Chasse was mentally ill, and he behaved as you might expect. He made no sense. He ran. He tried to bite. Things that will push the limits of a good officer. With one who's already past the edge like Humphreys, it was lethal.

It would really help if police - and the public in general - thought of mental health crisis like physical health crisis. When someone's heart is failing, people respond to them differently. That same sense should apply when someone's brain is failing.

There are mental health professionals who can be called in tandem with calling the police. If you're going to call someone about a mentally ill person having a crisis, do them and you a favor. Call a mental health professional, like Project Respond or Cahoots. Folks who specialize in dealing with mentally ill people in crisis. If they need police help, they'll bring it.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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Folks tend to forget that mentally ill are far more likely to be the victim of violent crime than the perpetrator of it.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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It would really help if police - and the public in general - thought of mental health crisis like physical health crisis. When someone's heart is failing, people respond to them differently. That same sense should apply when someone's brain is failing.

There are mental health professionals who can be called in tandem with calling the police. If you're going to call someone about a mentally ill person having a crisis, do them and you a favor. Call a mental health professional, like Project Respond or Cahoots. Folks who specialize in dealing with mentally ill people in crisis. If they need police help, they'll get it.

I sit on the board of directors for a non-profit that has mental health programs, helped start the Mental Health Action Alliance, and spoke multiple times with the mental health case workers who worked with Chasse.

posted 5 years, 2 months ago
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