never, ever, ever call the cops when someone is experiencing a mental health emergency https://twitter.com/cbcnewsbc/status/1275514627749601280

in 2016 Tony Timpa called 911 saying he suffered from schizophrenia and depression, was off his meds and needed help. Dallas police pinned him to the ground for 14 minutes and mocked him as he begged for his life. They killed him. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/dallas-police-joking-tony-timpa-fatal-encounter.html

Officers Kevin Mansell, Danny Vasquez and Dustin Dillard were indicted by a grand jury in 2017 on charges of misdemeanor deadly conduct. Dallas county DA John Cruezot dismissed all charges. The officers all returned to active duty after charges were dropped.

the police only ever escalate to violence. all the training and sensitivity classes and awareness programs have not changed that fact. defund the fucking police

this is Tony. he died frightened and alone in a parking lot to the sound of the police officers he’d called for help laughing at him

people are asking about alternatives to calling 911 - some cities have set up dedicated mental health crisis hotlines for this purpose. search your area and mental health crisis hotline to see what your local options look like

if you know someone with a history of severe mental illness, make a plan with them when they’re not in crisis. establish what steps you will take when there’s a need for outside intervention - are there providers to call for advice, where is your closest ER, etc

the healthcare system isn’t exactly well equipped to adequately deal with mental health crises either (that’s a whole other chapter) but if you get someone in the hands of healthcare professionals they can at least be kept alive

most people who’ve been hospitalized at some point will have some kind of crisis intervention plan laid out for them - sometimes your best bet is to recognize early warning signs before things escalate to crisis. have this conversation with people you care about

Apparently some people have compared Tony Timpa’s killing with the murder of George Floyd to suggest that the police aren’t racist. Guess what, they absolutely are, they just hate people with mental illnesses and disabilities too.