After reading the Sun Journal article of July 29, “Rumford police justified in use of deadly force,” regarding the confrontation with Jessica Byrn-Francisco last March, I would like to note the following.
In our society today, mental illness in its varying forms is as much a concern as are cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses.
Many psychologists and counselors are available for those suffering with some form of mental illness, including depression, just as cancer and heart specialists are available for those suffering with those diseases.
A suicide crisis for a person is a mental health, a health problem, and requires the appropriate health care professionals to help the person through the serious life-threatening crisis.
In our society today, I think it’s reasonable to think that a mental health care professional, ambulance with attendants, police trained for a mental health crisis acting only as backup, is an appropriate response to a person having such a serious health crisis.
I also think it is reasonable that as many police officers as possible be educated with NAMI Maine’s Crisis Intervention Team training so they will relate with understanding to a person’s mental health crisis.
A call for help from a person threatening suicide is a call for help. We should help, shouldn’t we?
Tom Fallon, Rumford
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