The police accountability bill pending in the Massachusetts State House is far from perfect, but for mentally ill victims of police brutality and their families, it is a crucial first step in the right direction.
I know because my cognitively disabled sister Amy was a victim of police brutality. Seven years ago, cashiers at a wholesale warehouse in suburban St. Louis falsely accused her of shoplifting. She became agitated by the accusations. They summoned local police, who then tased her in front of our mother, while my mom calmly begged them to remember their training and deescalate. Looking back, it s sheer luck that those officers didn t kill Amy out of fear. Itâs a horrific moment that no parent should have to endure, especially a Black parent. It was a difficult story for me to hear on the phone, far away in Boston. No one wants to be the next hashtag, the latest grim and fleeting marker of police violence.