Becky Hoffman holds her hands over her face as she speaks about her late partner Maddie being shot to death by police during a wellness check. On the right is a painting showing her sons, with herself in the center. Maddie’s hand is shown on far left bottom of painting.Maddie Hofmann had struggled with mental health diagnoses that include anxiety and depression, and had cycled on and off medication for years, but by May 19 they were in a mental health crisis.
“They belonged on medication, not on a shelf,” said Becky Hofmann, pointing to the box holding Maddie’s ashes. “They’re supposed to be here long enough to get better.”Malvern police were justified in fatally shooting a woman brandishing a gun, Chester County DA says The question of whether police are the best-equipped to respond to people who are experiencing a mental-health crisis has prompted departments in places like Detroit to adopt what’s called a co-responder model where a mental health professional goes out with officers. Cities
Uzman said officers took a three-hour course last year that focused on recognizing and responding to people with special needs, including mental health issues. This year, officers had to take a three-hour course on implicit bias.