Interesting Couple Of Minutes This Morning.

[sequins]

Frank, how many anecdotes constitutes "substantial" evidence? Do a search for "mentally ill man shot by police" on any leading search engine. You won't see the same exact story repeat, but you'll see countless nearly identical examples repeat. It's sad. It's just an unfortunate state of affairs because the police are put in a position they are not meant to be, they aren't mental health professionals.

IMO the OP showed great discretion in not calling the police and just passively letting a tense situation pass and wash over him... Nothing happened because nothing had to happen. Had it escalated the OP had a good option. A true 2A happy ending.

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/02/21/shooting-death-john-t-williams-18538

The Seattle Washington John T. Williams case has still not even finished shaking out in local politics, we have a new chief who has only been in power for a few years. Before her there was a corrupt local guy who only served a few interim years. The whole local deal is a stinky mess and unless you're into Washington politics it isn't worth getting into but we managed to get a federal inquest into the Seattle Police Department conduct so you know there was at least something to it...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/24/james-boyd-killed-by-cops_n_5021117.html

My dear mother lives in New Mexico, having fled the dark winters of Washington (the state is cursed, and has a lot of MS to boot). Who would have thunk that as soon as she moved to New Mexico and I started to pay attention to the state that I noticed they had cases like this from time to time. Oh dear...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/0...tal-shooting-mentally-ill-nc-teen-by-officer/

This last one is one of many in the "one of many" I alluded to. There are many, many articles about a man or woman whom the family knew simply needed help, panicked and called the police, and police responded by following protocol and shooting when a tangible threat was presented- after all they might face job consequences for not shooting if the conditions were met and they hesitated and they should have fired resulting in a different kind of tragedy. Imagine not firing in the Bataclan theater because of whatever reasons, in retrospect. I am sure many officers will err on the side of caution in the most unfortunate way possible for the harmless but dangerous appearing mentally ill.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I seem to remember a moderator here who used to say that after 3 pages threads just started to repeat and this one appears to have become nothing more than a pissing contest.

I am formally requesting that it be locked.

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by sequins:

If you think calling the police as a response to someone who is mentally ill isn't going to strongly increase the mentally persons chance of being shot and killed by said police I think you're being a little naive.

You keep missing the point--completely. Calling the police in response to someone who is mentally ill? Is the actor qualified to make that judgment? No, one calls the police to report the display of a firearm. It's a very good idea.

And by the way, it might also be a good idea to report a man carrying a knife in his hand. In today's cell phone world, I probably would have.

Furthermore the OP could have shot and probably not even faced charges.

If, and only if, sufficient evidence indicated that he had a reasonable belief that there had been no other way of defending himself agains an imminent attack with that knife, yes, you got it.

And that's the way it should be.

IMO the OP showed great discretion in not calling the police and just passively letting a tense situation pass and wash over him...

We've been over that. It's best t call it in, first.

If you carry a gun, it's high time for you to learn that.

Nothing happened because nothing had to happen.

Nothing happened because no one else called first to claim that the OP had threatened anyone without cause.

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by Trunk Monkey:

Don't think I would have had to try too hard to articulate a reasonable fear that my life was in danger.

Could well be.