Mental Illness

A man clinging high above the East River prompted a response from special ops

Police had been trying to take the woman into custody, but she fled and shot at officers inside a store, police said

Next month, the team of mental health workers will grow three-fold and expand its coverage area

While the department has trained officers to be members of a crisis intervention team, there is another level of help needed in the field

The woman, who was clearly having a mental health crisis, was carrying an AK-47 and appeared to be wearing a vest filled with explosives

Officials hope that by next year mental health professionals could respond to one-third of all mental crisis calls to 911

Former Officer Austin Hopp is facing a second-degree assault charge

Bryan Riley, a veteran Marine turned private security guard, had no criminal history when he brutally attacked a family on Sunday

People in mental crisis present challenges — to law enforcement as well as hospitals — and too often fall between the cracks

The social worker identified his attacker as a dangerous man who had tried to kill a Holyoke police officer years before

Mayor Libby Schaaf criticized the council's action, saying it effectively "cuts "50 police officers who respond to Oaklanders' 911 calls"

A mental health professional acting as an on-scene consultant to police officers can reduce the likelihood of the situation escalating to violence

The cop-crafted scenarios and varied outcomes offered by VirTra help officers practice making decisions in real time to develop more effective de-escalation tactics

Reality-based scenarios can help improve communication techniques to reduce use of force in calls involving people in emotional distress

Officers who use simulation training programs are more confident, use less force