As refresher training began today for more than 400 New York City police officers for their encounters dealing with emotionally disturbed people, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly defended the quality of the department's training after a naked man fell to his death last week when he was shot by a police Taser gun, reports the New York Times. “In light of the events that happened last week, we thought it was important that we just re-emphasize the training that they receive in this most difficult, complex area,” Kelly said.
Iman Morales, 35, died after a half-hour standoff with the police in Brooklyn. Said Kelly, without addressing details of the Morales case: “Last year, we handled 87,000 calls to aggressive emotionally disturbed people,” he said. “Obviously, the vast majority of them went well. You didn't hear about them. But we're human beings. Sometimes we make mistakes. Reporters even make mistakes. People on Wall Street make mistakes.”
Link: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/after-taser-death-kelly-emphasizes-training/