Autistic child seriously injured by police fire in US: mother called for help after having a seizure

Steph Deschamps / September 8, 2020

An autistic child was seriously injured by a Salt Lake City police officer after his mother appealed for help, a case fueling controversy over police abuse in the United States.

Linden Cameron, 13, was in a state of mental distress when her mother, Golda Barton, called the US emergency number 911 for help in hospitalizing her.

"I told them 'he's unarmed, he just gets mad and starts screaming, he's a kid, he needs attention," she told local channel KUTV.

When police from that Utah city arrived, the teenager ran away. A police officer then shot him several times.

"During a short foot chase, an officer fired his gun and hit this person," Constable Keith Horrocks told a press conference. The youngster suffers from injuries to his shoulder, intestines, bladder and ankles.

"He's a little kid, why didn't you just knock him down? Her mother implored, in tears.

According to the police version, Linden Cameron was suspected of "threatening people with a weapon ».

But, according to Officer Horrocks, no trace of a weapon has been found "at this stage" at the scene.

In a country embroiled in a historic movement against police violence, Linden Cameron's plight has sparked turmoil from local disability organizations.

The police were called for help, but instead more damage was done, ”said the Neurodiverse Utah association.

Linden Cameron’s case is reminiscent of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old African-American man with mental health problems who died of suffocation by police after his arrest on March 23 in Rochester, New York. They had also intervened there after an emergency call from Daniel Prude's brother, seized by a crisis caused by psychological disorders.

Credit : Sudinfo