De-escalating Police Interactions With People With Mental Illness
By Meha AhmadDe-escalating Police Interactions With People With Mental Illness
By Meha AhmadA Woodlawn man was fatally shot Wednesday by Chicago police after officers responded to a call of disturbance near the University of Chicago.
The call came from the man’s father, who told police his son, Myles Frazier, suffers from bipolar disorder and was armed.
CPD, and police departments across the country, have long faced harsh criticism for how they interact with people with special needs or mental health issues. The incident comes the same day as CPD’s announcement of a new pilot program that uses virtual reality technology to train officers in how to interact with people with mental illnesses.
Morning Shift checks in on best practices police can use when interacting with people with mental illnesses.
GUESTS: Shannon Heffernan, WBEZ criminal justice reporter
Alexa James, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago