SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah state senator will ask fellow lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session to endorse a resolution recommending that law enforcement agencies undergo crisis intervention training so they can more effectively assist people with mental illness.
Sen. Patricia Jones, D-Salt Lake, agreed to sponsor the resolution following the death of Brian Cardall, who died of cardiac arrest on June 9, 2009, after he was Tased by police officers on a highway near Hurricane, while he was in the midst of a psychotic episode.
"This training would help law enforcement feel more confident and better equipped to handle these situations," Jones said. "The general public needs more education and understanding of mental illness. It is much more prevalent than people understand."
Cardall's father, Duane Cardall, director of editorials for KSL-TV and Radio, spoke about the incident Thursday during the National Alliance on Mental Illness' annual Utah conference held on the University of Utah campus.
Cardall juxtaposed the experiences of his son Paul, who born with a congenital heart defect and ultimately required a heart transplant, and Brian, who was diagnosed in 2005 with a bipolar disorder.
"In my mind, Brian's brain-based malady was every bit as serious as Paul's defective heart. Yet, for some reason, society is yet to come to grips with the reality of mental illness," Cardall said.
As he has reflected on Brian's illness and the events surrounding his death, Cardall said there needs to be a greater societal awareness about mental illness.
"Perhaps, through greater public outreach along with more extensive research, society will come to understand that people aren't just 'crazy' and 'loony' but genuinely and biologically ill," Cardall said.
Police officers need enhanced training in crisis intervention so they can develop greater empathy for people with mental illness and have the tools to de-escalate situations, he said.
"I can only wonder how different the situation would have been had Brian been approached by an officer adequately trained in de-escalating tactics and techniques," Cardall said.
Lastly, Cardall addressed the use of Tasers by law enforcement.
"I'm not prepared to summarily call for their elimination as a law enforcement tool," Cardall said, although he said he believes more effective training and policies are needed.
"This controversial weapon should only be used as an alternative to deadly force, not nilly-willy as a tool of convenience as happens too often through this nation and beyond," he said.
"After all, more than 400 people, including Brian Cardall, have died in the United States since 2001 after being shocked by a Taser. It is, without doubt, a potentially lethal weapon, and every officer who carries one needs to understand that."
The Cardall family in April filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Hurricane city and police alleging excessive force was used in Brian's death.
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