Melissa Perez was shot to death by three San Antonio police officers at her home on June 23.
By Colbi Edmonds, Photo: from article, The New York Times, July 22, 2023
The San Antonio Police Department, like the police in other cities, has a Mental Health Unit available around the clock to respond to calls that require trained, empathetic responses and support for people in distress.
None of the mental health officers on duty were dispatched before Melissa Perez was shot and killed in her home last month by three police officers. Ms. Perez, 46, was exhibiting unusual behavior and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Like the incident in New York in which Raul de la Cruz, 42, was shot six times and critically injured in March by officers 28 seconds after their arrival, Ms. Perez’s shooting is renewing vexing questions about police staffing, training and decision-making, and how officers deal with people experiencing mental health issues.
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