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SWAT teams and law enforcement in general are routinely scrutinized for every decision and action, especially when it comes to interactions with the mentally ill. The incident in Eureka, California where Cheri Moore, who had a history of mental illness, was shot and killed by Eureka police officers in her second story apartment has received massive attention. Prior to the shooting and preceding two hour standoff, Moore brandished a flare gun, threw things from her second-story window and threatened to burn down the building. Police have said they believed Moore had put down the flare gun when the decision was made to storm her apartment. Upon entering, officers said they came face to face with Moore, who was pointing the flare gun at them. Officers shot Moore several times.
The case is an important lesson on how interactions with the mentally ill are fraught with danger and risk for officers and citizens alike. The tragic phenomenon of "suicide by cop" will continue to pose a very real threat to every law enforcement officer out on the street. In the Eureka case, some District Attorneys and trial lawyers were critical of tactics used and wanted to punish split-second critical decisions made by commanders on the scene.
But we know that these tactical decisions are second guessed by those who have the luxury of reviewing the decisions sitting in a meeting. In this sort of non-threatening environment, it is easy to arrive at the conclusion that the commanders failed to supervise and failed to adequately train their personnel.
The Eureka case is an example of extreme "after action" scrutiny and criticism by people who could not possibly understand the stress involved in making the split-second decisions law enforcement officials hope is their best option to protect the public and save lives. Fortunately, in this case, this travesty was exposed and the two command-level officers were found "not guilty."
What is critically important for front-line law enforcement personnel to remember is that reduced services by mental health agencies may lead to increased encounters with people who have serious mental health issues, including the potential for them to become violent. The worst case scenario is the "suicide-by-cop" threat where a suicidal person lacks the will to take their own life but forces the officer to do the job by threatening his or her life. Most times, these incidents can only be resolved by using lethal force.
A study conducted from 1998 to 2006 utilizing data from North American law enforcement agencies reviewed 707 officer-involved shooting incidents. The study concluded that 36 percent of the officer- involved shootings fell into the "suicide by cop" category. Over a six-month period, my agency was involved in four suicide by cop incidents provoked by people who were mentally ill.
Each incident ended with the officer shooting and inflicting fatal wounds on the suspect. To put these numbers into perspective, the Los Angeles Police Department would have to be involved in 120 similar incidents during the same time period to have the same ratio. These incidents took a tremendous toll on our agency and the community. Crisis intervention training (CIT) is one of the most cutting edge forms of training in law enforcement.
The course is offered in a four-day, 40-hour format which includes mental health facility visits and interaction with a pre-selected panel of mental health consumers. The curriculum ensures that the student leaves with a better understanding of major mental illnesses, mood disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, TBI and developmental disorders. Additional topics include suicide, suicide by cop, and excited delirium. The other alternative is a single eight-hour course. The content is the same as the four-day program, but does not include site visits. The first course is necessary for CIT certified officers.
The second format is recommended for all law enforcement officers and has been condensed to accommodate large numbers and to create less impact on staffing levels for a long period of time. One of the concepts either class teaches is the use of CIT cards. These cards are distributed to officers and utilized in the field to document individuals that may have a suspected mental illness or other issue that can be evaluated and referred to the appropriate agency within your jurisdiction.
CIT cards are referred to the CIT officer or officers within your agency. The CIT officer evaluates the information and completes a preliminary investigation into the individual. The CIT officer can then take the information to a multi-disciplinary team meeting for further follow-up. Returning veterans also bring their own set of challenges.
Close to 40 percent of our veterans reside in the states of California, Florida, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania. These courses include a veteran's affairs representative who can provide law enforcement officers with practical advice and opportunities to try and help our veterans who are struggling.
Todd Hammitt is a sergeant with the Training Division at the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department in California. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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