More than a third of people shot by L.A. police last year were mentally ill, LAPD report finds
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lapd-use-of-force-report-20160301-story.html
More than a third of the people shot by Los Angeles police last year had documented signs of mental illness, nearly triple the number from the year before, according to a lengthy review by LAPD officials made public Tuesday.
The report also found that African Americans continued to account for a disproportionately high number of people shot by officers, given the city's demographics. Eight of the 38 people — or 21% — struck by LAPD gunfire in 2015 were black, the report said. African Americans make up about 9% of the city's population.
The sweeping 300-page analysis — an effort designed to help identify ways to reduce use-of-force incidents — offered an in-depth look at how and when Los Angeles police officers used force in recent years.
But the numbers also offered a stark reminder of questions that have plagued the LAPD and agencies across the country: How can officers safely interact with a growing mentally ill population? And how can departments heal strained relationships with black residents when police shootings of African Americans remain disproportionately high?
