Less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door, police shot Yong Yang in his parents’ Koreatown home while he was holding a knife during a bipolar episode.

Less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door, police shot Yong Yang in his parents’ Koreatown home while he was holding a knife during a bipolar episode.

Parents in Los Angeles’ Koreatown called for mental health help in the middle of their son’s bipolar episode this month. Clinical personnel showed up — and so did police shortly after.

Police fatally shot Yong Yang, 40, who had a knife in his hand, less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door to his parents’ apartment where he had locked himself in, newly released bodycam video shows.

Now the parents of Yang, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 15 years ago, have told NBC News exclusively that they are disputing part of the account captured on bodycam, in which police recount a clinician’s saying Yang was violent before the shooting on May 2.

  • NarrativeBear@lemmy.world
    132·
    6 months ago

    I agree with your first statement, police are not therapists. They are not trained for this. They are basically a “sledge hammer” and everything is a “nail” per their training.

    But, blambing the parents for calling for help should not be something that should be stigmatised in this way. Sure, maybe calling the police may not have been the best option, but the system is really failing us in general when people ask for help.

    Calling a help line should really direct you to more appropriate service. Though this may not exist.

    Edit: thanks for everyone that read the article (doing the lords work). The parents called a help line and the help line forwarded it to the police. So the systems for help failed the people they are designed to help in a way.

    Also no need to downvote snownyte so badly guys!

    • girlfreddy@lemmy.ca
      6·
      6 months ago

      Myung Sook Yang said she initially called the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health about her son on the morning of the shooting. Members of the county’s Psychiatric Mobile Response Team responded but ultimately turned to the police for assistance.

      The parents didn’t call the cops.

      • NarrativeBear@lemmy.world
        2·
        6 months ago

        Very interesting, this even more so highlights how the system is somewhat failing or overburden in a way.

        Even calling for assistance or help down the right channels can lead you down some unwanted or unseen directions.

        I suppose that this same reason is why homelessness is as big of a issue, people don’t ask for help because it usually ends up being more of a burden then the situation they may already be in.