In 2018, police killed at least 136 people with a disability. That’s not okay. The police should be protecting vulnerable populations, not killing them.
Adam Trammell was tasered 15 times because he wouldn’t get out of the shower. He had Schizophrenia and thought the police might be a delusion. Police had been called to bring him to the hospital where he could receive care.
The officers talked about the woman previously having large metal shears, trying to prevent officers from leaving her apartment and making “weird statements” about her and her daughter turning into wolves.
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A jury awarded LeGrier’s family 1 million dollars in damages, but a judge overturned the settlement.
For many, the nub of the problem is the way police are taught to interact from the very beginning – with so much emphasis on firearms training and personal protection, and relatively little on de-escalating confrontations.
BBC News
These are just a few examples of people who have disabilities that have been killed by police. All of the deaths could have been avoided and it is incumbent upon law enforcement agencies to better train their members to ensure that lives are respected.
