Highlights:
- A teenage kid with autism was shot by the cops.
- His concerned mother had called the cops to control the situation and get mental health help for her son.
- The cops thought the kid still had a gun and tried to stop him.
- When he continued walking, the cops shot him.
Inside Story
A 13 years old autistic boy was shot by police after his mom called the cops to get him to the hospital for mental health treatment. Even the body camera footage revealed that the teen got seriously injured on Monday.
The videos showed that Salt Lake City officers ran after the teen down an alley. Then they arrived at his home and commanded the boy to get on the ground.
When he did not listen, cops fired a series of shots, and the boy with autism fell to the ground. Luckily, he survived but has severe wounds like pierced organs and broken bones.
The mother of the victim had already warned the cops that the teen on September 4 had a gun and threatened to break windows and shoot her male coworker. However, while shooting the boy, he was completely unarmed.
The mother only wanted her boy to get medical help, but the cops thought that the boy had a gun and decided to advance towards him. When the boy with autism saw the officers, he was triggered.
The mother said that as he saw the badge, he thought they came to kill him. So he freaked out and tried to defend himself. In one clip, the cops were talking about whether to approach the teen because if they did approach him, then it would result in shooting the boy.
The video clip did not show the 13 years old holding any weapon. Even the cops did not mention any gun in their report on Monday. The mother said that she took help from a crisis intervention officers, who are untrained to control a serious situation that includes any disabled person. She continued that it is important to have a mental health worker to help in such a serious situation.
Investigation Report
Within a few days, the police shootings video was made available to the public. Many people questioned how officers handle people suffering from mental health problems.
On Monday, at a news conference, Salt Lake City’s Mayor Erin Mendenhall stated that the mother of the teen with autism was frustrated and heartbroken with cops shooting him. She has asked the authorities to investigate the case thoroughly.
Conclusion
The officers who arrived at the scene did not receive mental-health training and treated the boy as a threat. The boy is alive and recovering at the hospital. However, tt’s been two weeks, and still, he is hospitalized.
This situation would have avoided if the cops knew how to calmly handle the boy. Moreover, the mother had called for mental health help and not for a criminal act.
Stay tuned for more updates.
