(Apr. 2, 2015) Jeffrey Taylor, a 53-year-old diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, was shot and injured by police after he struck two pedestrians and a responding officer during a car chase in Ohio last week (“Suspect shot by police had mental issues, mother says,” Toledo Blade, Apr. 1).
Taylor’s mother, Nettie Taylor, said the incident would never have happened if her son regularly took medications to treat his serious mental illness. Nevertheless, Ms. Taylor said that Toledo police knew about her son’s condition and could have found an alternative to shooting him.
“I know he was wrong to drive like that, but to get shot like that — he hadn’t robbed anybody, he hadn’t killed anybody,” said Ms. Taylor.
Taylor’s mother explained that she had fallen and hit her head the morning of the incident and her son became upset when she would not go to the hospital. This event, combined with the recent passing of his father and the fact that he was off his medication, likely precipitated a psychotic break for Taylor, his mother said.
“Now that he’s in trouble…if he lives, I want him to be treated right,” said Taylor’s mother.
As of Tuesday, Taylor remains in critical condition and the three victims are expected to recover.
Taylor is lucky to be alive. “[At] least half of the people shot and killed by police each year in this country have mental health problems,” according to a joint report by the Treatment Advocacy Center and National Sheriffs’ Association.
The transfer of responsibility for individuals with serious mental illness from mental health professionals to law enforcement officers is incompatible with good psychiatric care. The current situation is victimizing both the patients and the law enforcement officers.
But the situation could be improved by making more widespread use of assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) in the 45 states where it is authorized and enacting AOT laws in the five states without them.
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Taylor’s mother, Nettie Taylor, said the incident would never have happened if her son regularly took medications to treat his serious mental illness. Nevertheless, Ms. Taylor said that Toledo police knew about her son’s condition and could have found an alternative to shooting him.“I know he was wrong to drive like that, but to get shot like that — he hadn’t robbed anybody, he hadn’t killed anybody,” said Ms. Taylor.
Taylor’s mother explained that she had fallen and hit her head the morning of the incident and her son became upset when she would not go to the hospital. This event, combined with the recent passing of his father and the fact that he was off his medication, likely precipitated a psychotic break for Taylor, his mother said.
“Now that he’s in trouble…if he lives, I want him to be treated right,” said Taylor’s mother.
As of Tuesday, Taylor remains in critical condition and the three victims are expected to recover.
Taylor is lucky to be alive. “[At] least half of the people shot and killed by police each year in this country have mental health problems,” according to a joint report by the Treatment Advocacy Center and National Sheriffs’ Association.
The transfer of responsibility for individuals with serious mental illness from mental health professionals to law enforcement officers is incompatible with good psychiatric care. The current situation is victimizing both the patients and the law enforcement officers.
But the situation could be improved by making more widespread use of assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) in the 45 states where it is authorized and enacting AOT laws in the five states without them.
To comment, visit our Facebook page.
Visit our blog archive to read all our recent posts.