Since 2015, nearly a quarter of all people killed by police officers in America have had a mental illness, according to National Public Radio.
âI have a firm belief that if youâre an adult, especially living in this country with a serious mental illness, youâve probably had a negative interaction at some point in your life with a law enforcement officer,â said Joseph Smarro, chief executive officer of SolutionPoint+, LLC, at a University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs lecture on âhuman connection in public safetyâ in January.
Police departments have been working to combat this with Crisis Intervention Training. CIT has been around since the 1980s and is a âcommunity partnershipâ between law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals and people with mental illness or addiction disorders.
Athens police arrest suspect in armed robbery, sexual assault redandblack.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from redandblack.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Updated: 1:41 PM EST March 1, 2021
ATHENS, Ga. A 51-year-old man is in custody after police said he robbed a convenience store, kidnapped the clerk and sexually assaulted the woman.
On Sunday, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department received a report of the robbery and assault at the the Golden Pantry off Tallassee Road.
Police said the man, identified as 51-year-old Melvin Allison, entered the store and said he had a gun before stealing several items and assaulting the clerk.
According to a police report, the suspect forced the victim to go to various locations, eventually ending up at a hotel where he held the woman against her will.
UPDATE: The Athens-Clarke County Police Department arrested a suspect on Wednesday in connection with a Feb. 25 armed robbery in which the suspect allegedly stole a PlayStation 5 at gunpoint, according to a press release.
Police took Myron Franklin, 19, into custody for his alleged involvement in the robbery. Franklin is charged with armed robbery and two counts of aggravated assault, according to the release.
The investigation is still ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Paul Johnson, whose contact information is below.
The original story is below.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that occurred Thursday on the 700 block of East Campus Road, according to a press release. The suspect stole a PlayStation 5, according to the release.