February 8, 2021
By: Niku Sedarat
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Christian Hall was a 19 year old asian-american boy who was facing a mental health crisis on the 30th of December 2020 on an overpass in Pennsylvania . Police were called to the scene in hopes of mitigating the crisis, but it only escalated from there. When police arrived at the overpass, Hall put his hand up indicating he was not threatening the police or anyone around him. However the police, who were armed with weapons, quickly took this teenagers' life.
The attorney who is working with Hall family for justice is Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who also represent George Floyd's case! The following is a link for more information and a petition for, Justice for Christian Hall...
However, this is not the first time we've seen a mental health crisis treated incorrectly by police. Bryce Coutinho, a 22 year old male who suffered substance abuse and had attempted suicide in the past, was also killed by the police in autumn of 2012. Overall, close to 5% of American adults who face problems with mental health are jailed and according to Mental Health First Aid, "People living with mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to die as a result of police encounter compared to the general public." In 2014, Senate Bill 11 was signed to mandate 3 hours of mental health courses as part of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Program, however law enforcement does not have to take this course.
To avoid more tragedies like these the police should be educated and equipped to respond to mental health crises in order to appropriately help the one facing the crisis and to protect themselves. Police officers can take part in programs like the, Mental Health First Aid Public Safety training, to learn how to help and approach those who are experiencing mental health crises. As of 2018, only 100,000 of the estimated 800,000 police officers in America have taken this training!
Citations:
Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF. “In Marlboro, a Domestic Disturbance Call Turned Deadly.” Telegram.com, Telegram.com, 14 Nov. 2012, www.telegram.com/article/20121114/NEWS/111149881#:~:text=Bryce%20Coutinho%2C%2022%2C%20was%20shot,Coutinho%20to%20leave.
“Justice for Christian Hall.” Ben Crump - Trial Lawyer for Justice, act.bencrump.com/a/christian-hall.
“Law Enforcement Facts.” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 30 Apr. 2020, nleomf.org/facts-figures/law-enforcement-facts.
“Police Need More Mental Health Training.” Mental Health First Aid, 23 Feb. 2018, www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2018/02/police-need-mental-health-training/.
State of California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. “Resources.” Commission on POST > Home, post.ca.gov/mental-health-training-in-law-enforcement.