• young_broccoli@kbin.social
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    8 months ago

    Seth Stoughton, a former police officer who is now a law professor at the University of South Carolina, said it can sometimes be hard for officers to tell whether a person’s behavior is a result of mental illness, substances or a medical episode. The latest training recommendations, he said, call for officers to be on the lookout for indicators of medical problems and to err on the side of calling in help if there is a potential health issue.

    “Officers are not doctors, not paramedics,” he said. “They really don’t have, and are not expected to have, the expertise to diagnose what is causing medical distress. But they are supposed to be able to identify indicators.”

    • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Yea I read the article as well… the indicators for this and drunkenness are similar though

      • brygphilomena@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        As is drunkenness and low blood sugar from a diabetic episode. Maybe it’s time we hold our officers accountable and require those they suspect are impaired to be seen by medical personal who then, if tests show, have a BAC above a set amount share that information with law enforcement.

        Officers have been shown they aren’t trustworthy enough to have the discretion to determine between medical aid or drunkenness.

        • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          But why do that when they can just chalk it up to “I thought she was drunk” and nothing happens to them

          • young_broccoli@kbin.social
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            8 months ago

            Thats another subject.
            You were making excuses for the pigs’ incompetence (how were they supposed to know?), I pointed out, from the article, why the excuse is not valid.

            • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              The excuse is valid though, the symptoms are the same. They aren’t required to take people exhibiting symptoms of drunkenness to the hospital, should they or should they not be is beside the point, they aren’t, end of story.

              I’m not making excuses, you’re just looking for a head to hang when there isn’t one