<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/10/family-of-fatal-nsw-police-shootings-call-for-independent-inquiry>
"The families of vulnerable people fatally shot by New South Wales police have
united to call for an independent inquiry into the way officers use force when
responding to mental health emergencies.
Their call has been backed by a former coroner and leading lawyers after four
fatal police interactions in as many months.
Clare Nowland, Steve Pampalian, Jesse Deacon and Krista Kach were fatally
wounded or shot by NSW police between May and September while they were
experiencing mental health issues that left them detached from reality.
Their deaths came after that of Todd McKenzie – a 40-year-old who was shot in
the back by police while he was suffering from psychosis in July 2019. His
death was examined by a coronial inquest which is due to hand down its findings
in the coming months.
The families of Pampalian, Deacon and McKenzie are demanding a royal commission
into how police respond to mental health callouts.
“This really, in some respects, is not just about my son,” Judy Deacon said of
Jesse, who was shot in his home at a Glebe public housing estate after police
were called to reports he was self-harming.
“My son, he’s gone. But he’s gone because of the system and the system needs to
be changed. That needs to not only be dealt with correctly, but independently,
and that should be through a royal commission.”
Deacon believes police should not be involved in most mental health callouts,
but if they are, they need to be better trained."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
