An advocacy group says a police shooting that wounded a 13-year-old autistic boy in Salt Lake City reveals shortfalls in the way officers respond to a mental health crisis.
It's a part of policing that’s facing renewed scrutiny during nationwide protests over brutality by law enforcement. The boy’s mother says she called 911 because he was having a breakdown. Authorities say the officers who came weren't specialists in crisis intervention but had some mental health training. A Utah nonprofit that provides crisis intervention training for law enforcement said Wednesday that those with the training focus on deescalation and avoid shouting or using sirens.