Mental Health Crisis Response by Police Continues to Kill Black Americans

Studies show that people experiencing mental health crises are 16 times more likely to be killed during encounters with police than others. Black Americans with mental illness face compounded risk from both racial bias and inadequate mental health crisis response. Between 2018 and 2020, police killed at least 1,400 people who were identified as having a mental illness; Black people were disproportionately represented. Cities including Denver, Eugene (OR), and Olympia (WA) piloted unarmed mental health crisis response teams (CAHOOTS, STAR programs); evaluations showed reductions in arrests and no increase in safety incidents. Advocates pushed to divert 911 mental health calls to these programs rather than armed officers.