POLICING AND THE MENTALLY ILL

What is the Right Approach?

The Story

In Walnut Creek, CA, the Hall family had always relied on the police to help out when their schizoaffective son, Miles, became erratic or violent.  Early on, they had spoken with the police about their son, wanting to make sure they could get help and support if his issues became worse.  His mother expressed concern about “her Black son in mostly white Walnut Creek.”

One day, Hall’s grandmother called, reporting a disturbance at the home of the now 23-year-old.  Hall was having a "mental health episode, she reported" and he had shattered the sliding glass door and was armed with a pole, going to other homes and banging on front doors.  A neighbor also called the CHP reporting that he was pounding on their front door, carrying a long pole.  A third party reported Hall chasing their vehicle as they drove through the neighborhood.

The police had a plan of action involving first a beanbag gun and then tasers, if needed.  They were hoping to wait for an officer with training in psychological approaches, but believed the neighbors were in danger from Hall.  They couldn’t wait.  Despite firing bean bags at him, he ignored their order to put down the pole and stop charging at them.  Wielding the weapon and coming at them aggressively, they fired their weapon, killing him. 

The Problem

Policing is incredibly dangerous and even with a well-thought-out plan, the situation can change in a heartbeat.  Police responding to a domestic violence case have had many bad experiences trying to de-escalate a situation, hoping to prevent further harm to the parties involved, but also to themselves.  In this situation, the officers said they felt their lives were imminently threatened when they pulled out their guns.

One might ask whether a taser would work with someone charging in a zigzagging fashion, as he was wont to do, waving the pole.  Wouldn’t the pole interfere with the taser barbs?  If you imagine the scene, you can understand the speed of the whole thing.  Could the police have retreated?  Would you, if you felt you might die?

Reasoning with people who have a mental illness isn’t a trivial exercise.  Schizophrenia or any variant involves delusions and often a clear vision of an alternate reality which can play into their actions.  People caught up in an episode can feel threatened and act in ways to protect themselves. 

Despite their training, when threatened, just like any of us, a cop’s amygdala is hijacked and they react in more primitive ways—fight or flight.  When flight isn’t possible, fight is the only alternative. 

Solutions

The “Defund the Police” movement has suggested mental health counselors be dispatched instead of cops.  In fact, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan's (D-Orinda) "Miles Hall Lifeline Act," a bill that would create call centers to connect people calling or texting 988 with trained counselors and dispatch mobile crisis support teams – instead of police officers – to help a person in crisis.  Perhaps this isn’t the job of the police.

But what happens when the person in crisis is dangerous?  Do we ask these people to go unarmed to help that person?  What are the implications of asking them to go out and risk their lives?  I imagine a case where a man has gone off the rails and is beating his wife.  If you can’t talk him down and he won’t quiet down and stop his aggressive action, do you simply retreat and let him kill her? 

A program pioneered in Oregon has had some success.  A crisis worker and a paramedic are sent out on these kinds of calls.  In most cases, they don’t require police backup and thus far, this program has worked.  It may be that simply not seeing police in uniform makes some people more open to working with these folks.  But what happens when violence continues and these aid workers, family or neighbors are being hurt?  Calling the police at this late stage won’t prevent the harm.

I found myself wondering whether the use of a tranquilizer gun might have made a difference.  It doesn’t work instantly, but might go a long way to reducing the risk, to the person attacking, the bystanders and the police.  I’ve never heard of this being used (which doesn’t mean there aren’t places where it can be), but it seems like a way forward.

However, I also wonder whether it’s okay for people who threaten others, whether because they have anger management issues or because of psychological problems, to be left in place after repeated offenses.  Do we deserve to feel safe?  At what point do we say “enough is enough?”  I don’t know the answer.  Perhaps some of my readers have ideas.