Another name has been added to the Black Lives Matter hashtag and this time she was a 66-year-old woman from the Bronx. According to the NY Daily News, Deborah Danner was shot and killed by Police Sergeant Hugh Berry after he failed to properly “isolate and contain” the victim who was suffering from mental illness.
Reports state that officers responded to a neighbor’s 911 call where she claimed that Danner, who suffers from schizophrenia, was behaving in an “irrational manner.” When police got to her Castle Hill home, they found Danner naked and armed with a pair of scissors. Hugh had allegedly gotten the victim to put down the scissors but she had picked up a baseball bat soon after and allegedly tried to swing at him.
This apparently caused the 8 year veteran to fear for his life because he pumped two bullets– one to the shoulder and the other into her chest– into Danner. She was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center but could not be saved.
“The shooting of Deborah Danner is tragic and it is unacceptable,” Mayor de Blasio stated after hearing the news. “This should never have happened. It’s as simple as that. Deborah Danner should be alive right now. Period.”
Danner’s death, just like most police involved shootings, have people angry and searching for answers, one being why didn’t he simply use his taser? Hugh was apparently trained on the proper way to de-escalate situations dealing with people suffering from mental illness but its clear Hugh failed to abide by the rules.
“It’s quite clear that our officers are supposed to use deadly force only when faced with a dire situation,” said de Blasio. “And it’s very hard for any of us to see that that standard was met here.”
The victim’s cousin, Wallace Cooke, who also happens to be a retired police officer, said he had made many calls similar to this one and not once did he have to fire his weapon.
“The other more simple thing they could’ve done is just close the goddamn door,” Cooke said. “It’s as simple as that. Where was she going? Close the door. She didn’t have no gun.”
As of right now Hugh has been apparently stripped of his badge and his gun but something tells us to not hold our breaths for any further actions.
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Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/fatal-bronx-shooting-broke-nypd-mental-illness-procedure-article-1.2836491
