• A mother in Salt Lake City, Utah called police late Friday to help transport her 13-year-old son with Asperger’s syndrome, which falls under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder, to a hospital during a mental health crisis. 
• However, when her son ran from authorities, one officer fired at him several times, causing injuries to his shoulder, both ankles, intestines, and bladder.  
• Police said they are investigating but were responding to a “violent psych issue” involving a juvenile who “had made threats to some folks with a weapon.”
• His mother claims she warned them ahead of time, saying: “He’s unarmed. He doesn’t have anything. He just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming. He’s a kid he’s trying to get attention. He doesn’t know how to regulate.”
• Salt Lake City police have repeatedly come under fire for their use of force this year, and this case has highlighted concerns about police handling mental health calls.

Mother’s Account of What Happened 

Police in Salt Lake City, Utah are under fire for how they handled a mental health call involving a minor. 

Late Friday, Golda Barton called police to request that a crisis intervention team help transport her 13-year-old son to the hospital for treatment. Her son, Linden Cameron, has Asperger’s syndrome, which falls under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder, and was experiencing what she described as a “mental breakdown” at the time.

As far as why he was in such distressed, Barton explained that it was the first day she had returned to work after almost of year, and her son struggles with separation anxiety. When on the phone with authorities, she told KUTV that she said, “He’s unarmed. He doesn’t have anything. He just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming. He’s a kid he’s trying to get attention. He doesn’t know how to regulate.”

When police arrived, she says she was told to stay where she was while two officers entered the home through the front door. Within minutes, she said she heard voices yelling, “Get down on the ground,” followed by several gunshots. 

She told local reporters that officers fired at her son after he tried to run away. She added that her first thought was that her son was dead and noted that officers did not immediately reassure her that he wasn’t. She also claimed that her son was put in handcuffs. 

Police Account of the Incident 

As far as how authorities have described the incident, in a press briefing early Saturday, Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Keith Horrocks said officers were called to the scene shortly after 10 p.m. 

He said they were responding to a “violent psych issue” involving a juvenile who “had made threats to some folks with a weapon.” Without naming Cameron, he said the boy fled from the address and one officer fired at him during a “short foot pursuit.”

When asked by reporters if a weapon was recovered, he said there was no indication that the subject had a weapon, but stressed that the investigation was in its early stages. That’s something another department spokesperson later told CNN, saying: “Mom can say whatever she wants, but there’s this investigation that has to happen and this process that has to take place.”

On the scene, Officers rendered aid to Cameron until he was taken to the hospital in serious condition. According to a GoFundMe page created by a family friend, the boy suffered injuries to his shoulder, both ankles, intestines, and bladder. 

“The long term effects of his injuries are still unknown, but it is likely that his recovery will be long and require multiple kinds of treatment,” the page reads.

Shooting Sparks Conversations About Police Responding Mental Health Calls

When speaking to KUTV, Barton criticized police for how they handled the incident, questioning why they didn’t use less aggressive tactics. 

“Why didn’t they tase him? Why didn’t they shoot him with a rubber bullet?” He’s a small child. Why don’t you just tackle him? You are big police officers with massive amounts of resources. Come on, give me a break,” she said.

Now, this case has added to the widespread frustrations with police, and it’s being used to highlight concerns about officers responding to mental health calls. 

According to research by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, people with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum, are disproportionately injured in interactions with the police and are five times more likely to be incarcerated than people in the general population.

Neurodiverse Utah, a grassroots organization that promotes autism acceptance and self-advocacy, said in a Facebook statement that people are less likely to be able to think rationally and respond promptly when they are experiencing a mental health crisis. 

“Police were called because help was needed but instead more harm was done when officers from the SLPD expected a 13-year-old experiencing a mental health episode to act calmer and collected than adult trained officers,” it added.

Investigation Ongoing

As for what comes next with this case, the department stated Tuesday that the investigation is being conducted by “a protocol team made up of officers from multiple agencies with no ties to the Salt Lake City Police Department.”

The city’s review board and the police department’s internal affairs division will also conduct “parallel separate investigations.” Police said they did not anticipate having any further updates until bodycam footage is released, which occurs within 10 business days from the incident.

Still, those statements have done little to help ease concerns since police in the city are already heavily criticized by members of the community. The city is still reeling the fatal police shooting of Bernardo Palacios Carbajal, who was struck by bullets 13-15 times when running from police while armed. 

Protests broke out in early July after the district attorney’s office determined that the shooting was justified, prompting Gov. Gary Herbert to declare a state of emergency.

Then in August, authorities suspended the use of police dogs in arrests after one bit a man named Jeffrey Ryans while he was on one knee with his hands in the air. 

Last month, the city’s mayor Erin Mendenhall signed an executive order that aimed to restrict the use of force by police and promote de-escalation tactics, among other reforms. It was to take effect no later than Saturday, the day after Cameron was shot.

As far as this specific incident, Mendenhall issued a statement Sunday saying, “While the full details of this incident are yet to be released as an investigation takes place, I will say that I am thankful this young boy is alive and no one else was injured.”

“No matter the circumstances, what happened on Friday night is a tragedy and I expect this investigation to be handled swiftly and transparently for the sake of everyone involved.”  

See what others are saying: (NPR) (KUTV) (The New York Times)