Less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door, police shot Yong Yang in his parents’ Koreatown home while he was holding a knife during a bipolar episode.

Less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door, police shot Yong Yang in his parents’ Koreatown home while he was holding a knife during a bipolar episode.

Parents in Los Angeles’ Koreatown called for mental health help in the middle of their son’s bipolar episode this month. Clinical personnel showed up — and so did police shortly after.

Police fatally shot Yong Yang, 40, who had a knife in his hand, less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door to his parents’ apartment where he had locked himself in, newly released bodycam video shows.

Now the parents of Yang, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 15 years ago, have told NBC News exclusively that they are disputing part of the account captured on bodycam, in which police recount a clinician’s saying Yang was violent before the shooting on May 2.

  • snownyte@kbin.social
    244·
    6 months ago

    The parents knew for years how bad things have gotten, wasn’t there a shred of a thought in their shallow brains that could’ve told them that if they called the cops that it’d escalate to this? No?

    • wildcardology@lemmy.world
      18·
      6 months ago

      But the parents did not call the cops, they called the department of health mental health services who must have called the police for assistance.

    • Decq@lemmy.world
      9·
      6 months ago

      Well maybe, but I still don’t think you should assume of cops they react this way. They should have been trained in deescalation… Not shoot at the first sign of a threat. Also I think you should turn the blame around. The cops knew what they were called in for, so should have entered with more care.

      • BombOmOm@lemmy.worldEnglish
        220·
        6 months ago

        I still don’t think you should assume of cops they react this way

        If one threatens others with death or serious bodily harm, they should expect lethal force as a response. You are not the victim when you are threatening the lives of innocents.

        • Decq@lemmy.world
          14·
          6 months ago

          Jesus no! You don’t deal with mental health patients this way! You should have started a dialogue and keep him occupied until he calms down and possibly comes out himself. And if he doesn’t you break down the door, step back and reevaluate the situation. Not just barge in and shoot him.