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Once again, someone in dire need of mental health services ends up shot by a police officer who was unqualified to be a first responder in the given situation.
Donald Armstrong, 47, was in the midst of a mental health crisis on March 7 when Miami Police Department officers were summoned to his home. According to WSVN, Donald’s mother Denise Armstrong dialed 911 in hopes that someone could help her son and lead him to safety.
“I just called the police to get him some help. I need y’all just to pray for him please,” said Armstrong, “Do that for me, please, Lord.”
Ms. Armstrong is asking for prayers because when officers arrived on the scene, they shot Donald six times and tased him several more. Let 12 tell it, Donald was holding a screwdriver. However, eye-witness video recordings of the encounter show him lifting his shirt to show that he was unarmed. Not only was Armstrong shot multiple times, he is also now being charged with aggravated assault of a police officer.
Ubiquitous civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the family.
“I think the video shows that the sole basis of filing allegations of aggravated assault was to cover up for the reckless conduct exhibited by one officer,” said Larry Handfield, another one of Armstrong’s attorneys.
It is reported that Donald Armstrong is now suffering paralysis as a result of the six bullet wounds. Manny Morales, Chief of the Miami Police Department, publicly issued a “pledge to ensure that our department does better in addressing calls involving mental and behavioral issues.”
We shall see.
