Voices for Utah Children says we need to spend more upfront on children in the Beehive State. The Children's Center Utah on the mental health of our children. Crossroads Urban Center on the need for more permanent supportive housing for ...
Victoria Thomas remembers the snow and how the heavy flakes came down, falling on the body of her dead son, Marc Neal, as police investigated the Feb. 3, 2020, shooting in her front yard. She remembers investigators digging around for officers’ shell casings.
Neal, 56, was a loving son, Thomas said, but he struggled with mental illness. She said that illness led to the confrontation with officers and she blames it for his death.
She also remains upset at the officers who fired at him.
In 2020, at least 40% of people Utah police shot at were experiencing a mental health event, according to a Salt Lake Tribune database that tracks police shootings. This data point was gleaned from news reports, and includes cases where police determined or family members reported that a person had a mental health issue, mental disability or was suicidal.