In the June 7, 2013 issue of Soundview Rising
Questions continue to surround the recent case of a mentally disturbed man who was fatally shot in hia apartment building by a New Rochelle Police officr.
According to reports, on Sunday May 29, the New Rochelle Police Department acted on a complaint that a mentally disturbed man, Samuel Cruz, had threatened to kill his sister. His estranged wife had reported that Cruz would not open the door for her and called the police. The New Rochelle Police Critical Incident Unit (CIU) was dispatched to Cruz’s apartment on Hickory Street to take him to a mental hospital and according to Police Captain Joseph Shaller the officers tried for about a half hour to talk to Cruz outside his door. Police Commissioner Patrick Carroll, Cruz had asked the officers for something to wear. Not getting cooperation because Cruz refused to answer the door, the officers entered the apartment and then tried twice to subdue Cruz with a tazer, without success.
Cruz then lunged at one of the officers very quickly with a knife, causing Officer Steven Geertgens to shot Cruz according to Police.
Although there were efforts to administer first aid to Cruz, he was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center.
Both the District Attorney and the Department of Community Mental Health are investigating. Subsequently the County Department of Community Mental Health according to media reports stated the New Rochelle police do not use a hotline which had been established as an aid to officers when mentally ill individuals are involved. This organization also has a program used in three other Westchester cities but New Rochelle does not particulate in because of a lack of funds.
DA’s Office spokesman, Lucian Chalfen, stated an Assistant District Attorney was at the scene on Sunday and their offices are assisting the New Rochelle Police Department in the investigation.
This death centers around a mental health problem and whether the police acted properly.
. Mental health is a field that relies on the judgment of mental health experts. A May 27th article in the New York Times, “Heroes of Uncertainly” by David Brooks (5/27/13), spells out common assumptions of the mentally ill; The American Psychiatric Association latest updated manual for health disorders is used according to Brooks by insurance companies. He claims the “real problem” is that psychiatry “is not really a science.”
He calls it a “semi-science” because there are no agreements on the meaning of these terms such as “mental disorder” or “normal behavior.” Martin Seligman, Past President of the American Psychiatric Association, is quoted saying in the last 25 years despite all the money spent, “drugs and therapy offer disproportionately little additional help for the mentally ill.”
Captain Shaller said the New Rochelle police officers had extensive training in the use of tazers which have been used dozens of times. He further insisted that officers with the CIU have a great deal of training citing the exemplary record of Police Officer Steven Geertgens who served with the CIU team since 2008.
One thought on “Is Police Shooting of Mentally Ill Man Justified?”
Comments are closed.
David Brooks Confused Psychiatrists With Psychologists
At the NY Times, I had posted a comment to David Brooks’ column, pointing out that Mr Brooks was confusing the Social Science of Psychology with the Medical Science of Psychiatry.
Social Sciences include Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Sociology, Social Anthropology, and Mr. Brooks own field of Political Science. If David Brooks believes Psychology is a “semi-science”, then it would be consistent for him to also believe his own expertise in Political Science is also a “semi-science”.
But regarding Psychiatry, one does need the Medical Degree, Internship of a regular Physician, as well as a Residency in the medical specialty of Psychiatry. As Psychiatry is fully a science, a Psychiatrist can prescibe powerful medications scientifically proven to aid, reduce or eliminate the symptoms of serious scientifically-proven mental and neurological medically-diagnosed illnesses, in particular psychosis such as schizophrenia, bipolar (manic-depressive), catatonia, etc, as well as less serious mental and neurological conditions.
Neurologists are also Physicians who can prescribe powerful medicines for various neurological conditions that most people would perceive as mental conditions. I suggest reading some of the books of British/Bronx neurologist Oliver Sacks, such as ‘Awakenings’, ‘A Leg to Stand On’, ‘The Man Who Mistook His WIfe for a Hat’, ‘Seeing Voices’, and Musicophilia’.
In comparison to a Psychiatrist or Neurologist, a Psychologist cannot prescribe any medicine to cure mental or neurological disturbances.
David Brooks is confused as to what Psychiatry is about, and is himself a ‘semi-scientist’ of politics who is not an expert on Psychiatry. Therefore, his misinformed column on Psychiatry should be completely disregarded as ignorance posing as information.
However, it is obvious that most Police are even less trained in understanding mental and neurological illnesses, than are Psychologists, who themselves are less expert than Psychiatrists.
There is nothing in David Brooks’ column “Heroes of Uncertainly” nor Peggy Godfrey’s column “Is Police Shooting of Mentally Ill Man Justified?” that sheds any light on whether the NR Police acted properly or recklessly on May 29. 2013 when they killed the clearly irrational Samuel Cruz.
Whether the killing was justified or not, there needs to be an unbiased investigation of this unfortunate death, by neutral authorities unrelated to the New Rochelle Police or City of New Rochelle. This is necessary, not only to determine whether Mr Cruz’s death was manslaughter, but just as importantly, to avoid future shootings of persons by the police, that could be avoided with better training.