How police handle mentally ill suspects

It's a situation that's become almost commonplace in police work: responding to situations where people in crisis are mentally ill.

A New York Times article this month detailed a recent Albuquerque encounter between police and a man with mental illness:

James Boyd, a homeless man camping in the Sandia Foothills here, could hear the commands of the police officers who were trying to move him out.

The problem was that Mr. Boyd, 38, had a history of mental illness, and so was living in a different reality, one in which he was a federal agent and not someone to be bossed around.

"Don't attempt to give me, the Department of Defense, another directive," he told the officers. A short while later, the police shot and killed him, saying he had pulled out two knives and threatened their lives.

The encounter was recorded by a police camera, which is featured in this CBS News report:

Mental health and criminal justice experts say it's a growing problem. Inadequate mental health services are driving more interactions between the criminal justice system and the mentally ill, often with deadly results.

On The Daily Circuit, we'll talk about what police departments and mental health advocates are doing to improve outcomes.