Use of force against mentally ill is unwarranted
Last Thursday, after the shooting death of a woman at Capitol Hill, the debate over the use of firearms deepened in complexity. At least 17 shots were fired by law enforcement agencies, resulting in the death of unarmed 34-year-old Miriam Carey, according to The New York Times.
Danny Razzano | Daily Trojan
Carey, who suffered from schizophrenia, attempted to ram through a White House security barrier, knocked over a uniformed Secret Service agent, hit police cruisers and breached the outer security of Capitol grounds, according to the Washington Post.
The shooting sparked questions over the use of force and the appropriateness of the officers’ actions. Though the officers defend their actions, it is clear that such a tragedy could have been prevented. Carey was speeding between the White House and the U.S. Capitol in a black Infiniti with her one-year-old daughter at the time of her death. The child was unharmed and is currently in protective custody. The shooting is currently being investigated by the D.C. police department’s internal affairs division to determine whether agents broke any laws, according to ABC News.
But ultimately, nonviolent means should have been a priority for officers dealing with Carey, especially since Carey suffered from schizophrenia. Given her mental illness, the actions of the officers are even more unreasonable.
Also, Carey was not just any rogue individual. She was a mother. Special consideration should have been given to the welfare of her child. Using firearms in dealing with an unarmed parent was a short-term solution to maintain security for the Capitol. The long-term consequence is that Carey’s daughter has become an orphan.
Moreover, police officers themselves serve as role models to society as a whole. They must act responsibly when reacting to crises, instead of opting for the easiest way out, which often means unnecessary death.
Had nonviolent means been prioritized, Carey’s story might have had a different ending. Police officers wield a monumental amount of influence. If officers choose to employ peaceful means in handling sensitive cases, it would encourage society as a whole to do the same and help prevent these tragedies from occurring.
Some, such as Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), are calling for mental health reform after this tragedy. But equal attention must be paid to the training officers receive when responding to chaotic scenarios. Officers must learn that responding to violence with more violence is not always the correct answer.
It is simply unacceptable that society has reached a point where episodes such as Carey’s are expected to result in threat elimination with no questions asked. In the end, these cases need to be treated with special consideration.
It is time to break the cycle of brutality that has become expected when law enforcement responds to threats of the mentally ill and cease these preventable tragedies.
Caroline Kamerschen is an undeclared junior.
Follow Caroline on Twitter @c_kamm
CAROLINE,
You are the epitomy of a Monday morning QB. All the facts you state such as…
1) Miriam Carey is a mother
2) Miriam Carey is mentally ill
3) Miriam Carey is not a rogue individual (BTW – not sure how you are defining this. Is it because she allowed a man to inseminate her and then she gave birth to a baby? If so, there are still plenty of cases in history where women who happened to make babies still engaged in roguish behavior).
…would NOT have been known in the heat of the battle. If a crazed person started to chase you or your loved ones down with their car, are you seriously saying the cops should not do anything until they ascertained a complete personal history of the perp? Or you serious? It seems you must have lived so far in a very sheltered world where life and death decisions do not happen in real time. One can pontificate all day long over their favorite coffee beverage, check out how Oprah weighed in on the situation, and then come up with a laughable opinion several days later.
Crazy people sometimes do crazy things that require they be stopped. That at times will include different levels of force by authorities. Mental illness unfortunately can manifest in ways that endangers others, as a young adult the writer lacks real world experience with this matter. I encourage her to visit Metro State Hospital or do a ride along with a law enforcment entity that deals with the mentally ill. I believe she will discover that mental illness is a far more terrible thing then she has ever imagined.
Caroline, you sound biased. What do you truly know about how police officers do their jobs? Before hopping on the anti police bandwagon many college students and their professors ride around on, take the time to do some research. Don’t take the easy road. Be unique and energetic in your quest for knowledge. Go on a ‘ridealong’ with any of the numerous police departments located within a short drive from your school. Skip the party and do so on a Friday or Saturday night where you will barely have time to use the restroom. You can ask the officer all the questions you like about police tactics/use of force and from his/her answers and from what you witness, you will gain perspective. You will understand that there is no bio page of the criminal/person of interest sent to the police car screen a la NCIS Los Angeles. Police officers know next to nothing or absolutely nothing about the person they are contacting, prior to contacting them. Some police departments will say you can’t do a ride along unless you are a citizen of that city. But you have a way around that because you are a student doing research. I was a police officer in So Cal for over 20 years and I would enjoy rolling out with the occasional college kid. It will be something you never forget.
shoot to kill period
It is sad that USC is turning left. There is no balance; no critical thinking.
Use of force against “mentally ill” is unwarranted
Which thereof, we are a broad demographic. The only time the vast majority of us come in contact with law enforcement is due to minor infractions, like failing to stop at a stop sign.
So when the mentally ill start a killing spree, we should let them stop on their own?!
Whether one is mentally ill or not, it is a moral duty to prevent further harm. Re: 2nd Amendment, an armed police force
Yes, Ms. Kamerschen is right. The police should have allowed the lunatic driver who was driving insanely and violently and struck multiple vehicles to run them over. Then, she might have plowed through the city streets until the crush of bodies under her wheels stalled the car. Then the police could have given her soothing therapy.
Caroline, it’s difficult to engage in therapy during a police pursuit. The cops in DC did what they had to do to end an immediate threat to the safety of the public and government institutions. The issue of schizophrenia is irrelevant at the time a violent act is taking place. The cops have no way of knowing her medical history, nor should they be required to speculate in the heat of the moment.
In 1998, Russell Weston, another schizophrenic, entered the Capitol and killed two police officers before he was wounded by a dying detective and taken into custody. By your logic, the police should have “focused on non-violent means” due to his mental illness. Perhaps Detective Gibson should have said something soothing with his last breath instead of shooting the man, eh?
A final thought – has it not occurred to you that the actions of the police probably saved the life of that child in Carey’s car?