Re: Police Killed Our Patient Originally Posted by Meerkat Very disturbing...one of our frequent psych patients (d/c'd) was picked up by the police. For what, I don't know. But I've never known the guy to assaultive. Agitated at times, yes. Assaultive, no.
Police apparently had him and he got agitated. He was Taser'd a few times and died when he got to our hospital.
This is the fourth time *this year* that police in our area have ended up killing a psych patient. Mostly from Tasering, once from being 'restrained' according to the news.
I just think police need some training on dealing with mentally ill people. This is a crying shame. Mentally ill and agitated is not the same as criminal!
They are policemen, not healthcare professionals.
We are trained to "bring someone down" without any other weapons than 4-points, six pairs of hands, and a hefty dose of IV Ativan.
They're trained to be very confrontational--the opposite of the approach we view as acceptable for psych patients. Unlike us, they're allowed to defend themselves with whatever means they feel necessary.
I'm saying it rather clumsily here, but what I'm trying to say is that the normal policeman vs. psych patient interaction is not a de-escalating situation, but rather an escalating one. The typical psych patient who behaves in a bizarre fashion and can often appear to have a weapon, triggers the trained response from the law enforcement officer--he defends HIMSELF first. This exacerbates the response from the psych patient, because now the psych patient's life really IS in danger.
I agree that it's horrible that so many psych patients who are acting out are treated as criminals, but the problem is that there is no easy way to distinguish the nonviolent psych patients who are having a psychotic break from the criminally violent ones who are on a rampage.
But God, I wish there was.....what a tragedy for these people who are trapped in an illness and cannot get the right help.
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