Local police agencies say they are prepared to appropriately handle situations involving disabled individuals, such as those with Down syndrome, after a man with Down syndrome died in a Maryland police force’s custody.
Robert Saylor, a 26-year-old who had Down syndrome, died earlier this year after police arrested him for refusing to leave a movie theater because he wanted to watch a movie a second time, according to media reports.
Saylor was known for his love of police officers, according to the reports. The incident has since been ruled a homicide.
According to both MSU and East Lansing police, both departments’ officers likely have been in contact with people with Down syndrome because of the area’s diverse community. In February, local law enforcement, including MSU police, took part in a polar plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics.
East Lansing police Capt. Jeff Murphy said any arrest of a person with a disability, such as Down syndrome, would be a last resort. He said if an officer has to arrest a person with a disability or another high risk, they will be monitored closely, if not guarded at the hospital, to make sure the individual is treated with proper care.
“I would have full confidence that they would know how to handle it appropriately,” Murphy said of officers dealing with an individual with Down syndrome.
Although the department has not offered specific Down syndrome training to officers, Murphy said they offer diversity training on a different group each year. He said in recent years, officers have had training in working with Muslims, autistic spectrum disorders and lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community members.
MSU police Assistant Director Tony Kleibecker said the university police department offers diversity training focused on the disabled, although he said it does not primarily focus on Down syndrome.
“Our outlook and our approach to our community is to be sensitive to the needs of anybody,” Kleibecker said.
Physiology senior Lauren Carney, who worked two summers at Camp Grace Bentley — a Burtchville Township, Mich. camp for individuals with disabilities — said although police feel prepared to deal with disabled individuals and avoid tragic situations such as Saylor’s death, she feels they might not be as prepared as they think.
Carney said individuals with disabilities, including Down syndrome, can have all sorts of personalities and can be stubborn and violent, or friendly and cheerful.
“They may not have a full idea of the spectrum of disabilities,” she said of officers.
She said specific training for officers, as well as wider knowledge in the community, is a necessity.
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