4 September, Salt Lake City, Utah – A family’s problems dealing with a 13-year-old autistic child turned into hell: police summoned to help get him to medical attention instead shot him. He is now in the hospital with damage to his intenstines, ankle, shoulder, colon and nervous system.
Mother Golda Barton also confirmed she called the police and asked for a crisis intervention team to help her manage the situation and get her son treatment.
“I said, ‘Look, he’s unarmed. He doesn’t have anything.
“He just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming,'” according to CNN.
Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Keith Horrocks
said in a news conference on Saturday that officers had been called to the area because a boy was having a “psychological episode and had made threats to some folks with the weapon.”
The call should be on tape. It can easily be discerned whether or not this 13-year-old had any lethal weapon and whether the mother or Sgt Horrocks is lying. Instead, the force is clearly covering up for itself, talking of long investigations, reviews, etc: no one has been arrested.
Police spokesman Greg Wilking has apparently shown zero concern for the family, the hospitalized, traumatized child. He did say: “Mom can say whatever she wants, but there’s this investigation that has to happen and this process that has to take place…”
The child will never be the same; the family will have horrendous issues not least the medical bills – and the police are kicking this into the long grass.
Any adult who cannot deal with a 13-year-old child with autism having an episode should not be on a police force.
What kind of police officer shoots a little boy? What kind of officer shoots a little boy with a mental health issue they’ve been called to help? What kind of officer shoots an unarmed little boy?
Why not release the phone call tape and any bodycam intel you have now – as you insist this little boy required your officers to use lethal force?
Your spokesman’s sarcastic comment ‘Mom can say whatever she wants’ is disgusting.
This family has been destroyed – and you seem to be lying about it in my opinion. What weapon did this child have? Who did they threaten? Did you send a crisis team or a swat team? If you have 100% proof the little boy had a deadly weapon – produce it now. Prove that you are not trigger-happy, untrained, irresponsible bullies – because that is how the world rightly sees you today.
Officers who shot a child do not belong on the force, even in Utah. Fire these people and charge them today. This is a disgusting situation and you are 100% responsible unless you charge these officers. Take them off the street for all our sakes.
–OR a tweet-
you have the audacity to tweet about kids heading back to school after you just shot a little boy with autism? Who do you think you’re fooling? Claim he was armed – where’s your evidence? Arrest, charge the officers TODAY – get them off the streets now. Where’s bodycam?
