Worked up and ready to shoot

I never did see what the autopsy showed on Kevin Peterson Jr., the young man killed by police in a drug bust gone wrong up near Vancouver, Washington last October. I guess I never will see it. Peterson's life mattered, but not for too long, apparently. It's been two months since anything was written about it.

Anyway, Troy Brynelson, who is doing great work as a reporter for OPB, has this story up today on how police up that way have dealt with mentally ill people in severe crises. A lot of times, the mentally ill person becomes a dead person.

“I don’t believe that Bill was a threat to them,” Chris Smith said. “These police officers were not in control. They were worked up and they were ready to shoot. … Showing up with a gang of people with guns did not de-escalate the situation.”

It's a familiar story, and sad, but one worth reading.