The mother of an autistic man shot by police in Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, LA Weekly reports. The lawsuit does not name specific monetary damages.
Kathleen Washington’s son, 27-year-old Steven Eugene Washington, was killed on March 21, 2010 when he failed to follow instructions from officers and allegedly reached into his waistband.
Washington said that her son, “made no aggressive movements and no furtive gestures.” Family members have said that Washington was generally afraid of strangers and likely didn’t understand their instructions because of his disability.
LAPD Shooting of Autistic Man Causes Criticism
The shooting has provoked a firestorm of criticism that police are not trained to handle interactions with learning-disabled individuals appropriately.
In the aftermath of the incident, The American Civil Liberties Association (ACLU) of Southern California issued a statement urging the department to “take a broader look at changes in department policy and training that could help prevent such a tragedy from recurring.” It also pointed out that the LAPD has recently created a training program aimed at improving officer interactions with individuals with autism.
Developmentally Disabled More Likely to Have Confrontations with Police
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, President of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, wrote on his blog that autism is a “no man’s land” for most police departments. He cited FBI statistics that show that those with developmental disabilities are seven times more likely to have confrontations with law enforcement.
“Washington’s slaying can, no, must, be another teaching moment for the LAPD and the city. Let’s not waste that moment,” he wrote.
