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Porter Burks

Detroit: Burks, 22, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was experiencing a mental health crisis Oct. 2 when his family called the police, asking for help. Body-camera footage from a crisis intervention team (CIT) officer on hand shows Burks standing in the middle of the street while officers offer him help several times and ask him to put the knife […]

This police chief’s reforms could be a model for other communities

But do we need another database of disabled people? CNN: “Police encounters with people dealing with mental health issues can go very wrong, very quickly. Often, the presence of a law enforcement officer can escalate the situation. “A lot of people with special needs may not react very well to a police in uniform, but they […]

Ian Fackender

Ian Fackender

Coroner finds fatal police shooting of man with schizophrenia experiencing psychosis was preventable.

Police Response and Transportation Reform for LA Metro

New CEO Stephanie Wiggins announced Wesnesday that LA Metro officials will stop focusing on law enforcement as a primary way response for homeless people within the transportation system. This announcement came after the introduction of the 23-month pilot program that would make buses and trains free for students in the short-term and free for low-income […]

Washington State Signs Multiple Police Reform Bills into Law

Washington state Governor, Jay Inslee, signed a dozen police reforms bills into law on Tuesday, May 18th. The legislature passed the police accountability measures in response to sweeping calls, nationally and locally, to reform policing following the killings of Black Americans like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. In Washington, the death of Manuel Ellis at […]

Teenager with Disabilities Assaulted by Police

Adam Wolf says his son, a 17-year old with autism and ADHD, was assaulted by a Californian officer. The officer was responding to a report of a possible assault and believed Wolf’s son was the suspect. “The officer asked the suspect to sit down, which he did. When the police officer took out his handcuffs, […]

LAPD Being Sued for Killing Man Struggling with Mental Health

Victor Valencia was a 31 year-old Latino man mistaken for an armed Black man. Police were called and fatally shot Victor who was actually carrying a bicycle part. The son and parents of Victor Valencia, allege in their lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, that Victor presented no threat and that his rights were violated […]

Police officer fatally shooting disabled man after being told to leave

Patrick Lynn Warren Senor was experiencing a mental health crisis so his family called 911. The Warren family requested a mental health professional, however, a police officer arrived instead. When the officer, Reynaldo Contreras, arrived, the family told Contreras to leave after he exhibited a hostile demeanor. Contreras returned and Warren Sr. answered the door, […]