By Caren Chesler, Illustration: Washington Post Illustration/iStock, The Washington Post, September 23, 2022
Police in a small but growing number of states are trying a new tactic on calls when someone is threatening suicide. They respond, assess and sometimes, depending on the situation, they leave.
It’s happening in Fresno, Calif., where last year, police were called to the home of a man who barricaded himself in his house with a gun and was threatening to kill himself and police, if they entered. It’s happening in Birmingham, Ala., where in 2020, police were called to the home of a man holding a gun to his head and threatening to shoot himself or officers if they didn’t back off. And it’s happening in Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, as police departments grapple with how best to assist someone who is suicidal, armed and doesn’t necessarily want police to intervene.
"When we looked at the core issue of these calls — mental health — we realized that a law enforcement response may not be the appropriate one for the given situation,” said Lt. William Dooley, public information officer for the Fresno Police Department. “Why should we use force, possibly injuring the person and our officers, when all we want to do is get them help?”
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