Violent Colorado arrest puts spotlight on how police treat disabled people
Loveland’s police department, like many others, requires officers to be trained to respond to people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. But no national standards exist. That means the amount of training law enforcement officers receive on interacting with disabled people varies widely.
Written By:
Leigh Paterson / Kaiser Health News |
3:20 pm, Jun. 15, 2021
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A body camera video recorded the arrest of Karen Garner on June 26, 2020, in Loveland, Colo. Garner, 73 at the time, has dementia and sensory aphasia. (Loveland Police Department)
Nearly a year after police officers in Loveland, Colo., injured an elderly woman with dementia and then laughed at footage of her arrest, two of those officers are facing criminal charges while the rest of the department undergoes additional training. The fallout has drawn national attention to a problem that experts say is widespread across law enforcement agencies: Police often lack the skills to interact with people with mental and physical disabilities.