Thursday, January 8, 2015 Tanisha's law would require mental health training for all Ohio police officers Family of a mentally ill woman who died in Cleveland police custody says police need to learn how to de-escalate problems by WKSU's M.L. SCHULTZE
Web Editor M.L. Schultze
Attorney Al Gerhardstein says such training has reformed the Cincinnati police department.
The family of Tanisha Anderson is pushing for a state law that ensures every police officer in Ohio is trained in ways to deal with mentally ill people.
Anderson, who had schizophrenia, died Nov. 13th. Cleveland police were taking her for a mental health evaluation when officers say she began to kick them and she fell to the ground. Her family – who had called police -- disputes much of that account and has filed a federal wrongful death suit.
Their attorney Al Gerhardstein says mental health training became a key part of the overhaul of the Cincinnati police department, which is now held up as a model.
LISTEN: Gerhardstein on changes neededOther options: MP3 Download(0:26)
“The first thing we did when we had our collaborative and our package of reforms was train every police officer on mental health response. And it just can’t come soon enough here in Cleveland that everyone should know what to do, how to do it and to know when they are in over their heads so they don’t make a sad situation worse.”
The 37-year-old Anderson’s death has been ruled a homicide, a ruling that her mother, Cassandra Johnson, underscored in explaining the lawsuit and what the family is looking for. The family was looking for help, she says, but in the eyes of police:
Police-community relations reflected on during MLK Day in Greater Cleveland
