#WalterWallace was shot by police in front of his mother. Cathy Wallace told them about her son’s existing mental illness and begged them not to kill him. This has to stop. We need a health response to a mental health emergency, not law enforcement.
People living with mental illness, especially people of color, are overrepresented in deadly encounters with law enforcement. When are we going to change this? #WalterWallace
Research shows that almost
one in four police shootings involve someone with mental illness.
one in four police shootings involve someone with mental illness.
Over the last five years,
16 of the 19 people with mental illness involved in New York City police encounters have been killed, and 14 of the 16 individuals were Black or other persons of color.
16 of the 19 people with mental illness involved in New York City police encounters have been killed, and 14 of the 16 individuals were Black or other persons of color.
The @FountainHouse47 community remembers when one of our own-
Deborah Danner, an unarmed 66-year-old black woman living with a mental illness - was shot down in her Bronx apartment. Research her story. This was in 2016 and we just watched #WalterWallace experience the same fate.
Deborah Danner, an unarmed 66-year-old black woman living with a mental illness - was shot down in her Bronx apartment. Research her story. This was in 2016 and we just watched #WalterWallace experience the same fate.
Walter Wallace’s family deserves justice and we need health-first solutions to mental health emergencies … that’s why we’ve begun the #CareResponders campaign.
What can policy change look like? Oregon’s CAHOOTS program is a
great example. It’s a community-based program that provides mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. @WhiteBirdClinic
great example. It’s a community-based program that provides mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. @WhiteBirdClinic
I’m a public health doc, epidemiologist, social justice advocate and the CEO of @FountainHouse47. I’m fighting for mental health as public health – and that means emergencies get medical attention. #WalterWallace didn’t have to be murdered.
It’s an election year–we have an opportunity to #Vote4MentalHealth. Tens of millions of Americans report dealing with mental illness each year. We need leadership who understands. Find out how candidates stand on issues connected to mental health: bit.ly/3kQEj3P
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