Think Twice Before Asking Police to Deal With the Mentally Ill

By now, you've probably heard the sad story of Keith Vidal. Here's the short version: Over the weekend, 18-year-old Vidal, resident of Boling Springs Lakes, North Carolina, threatened his mother with a screwdriver during a schizophrenic episode. His mother called the police for help. Two officers restrained Vidal, who reportedly weighed between 90 and 100 pounds. A third officer arrived at the house and shot the teenager dead.

I've seen two quotes in the press on why the officer killed Vidal, and both are pretty upsetting. Upon seeing his men restraining Vidal, the third officer reportedly said, "I don't have time for this. Tase him. Let's get him out of here." Vidal was Tased, and then for some reason, he was shot by the third, more senior officer. When asked by Vidal's parents why he killed their son, the officer allegedly said, "Well, I’m protecting my officers."