First responders' mental health in the spotlight after tragic police shooting in Detroit
DETROIT (FOX 2) - In the wake of a tragic incident in Detroit where police officers were forced to fire on one of their own who was "asking for suicide by cop," there is a larger spotlight being shined on mental health and the trauma that can exasperate issues for those first to the scene.
Chief James White said the shooting was evidence that first responders like police officers were not immune to the effects of the job and the needs for counseling should extend into the field.
Following the shooting, Councilmember Mary Waters released a statement that the city "may have failed" the officers - both the officer in question and the two that he was targeting.
"There’s more than one life drastically affected yesterday and think about the family members of the officer in question and the other officers and the coworkers," said Scott Taylor.
Taylor, who works with Frontline Strong Together 5 (FST5) which offers mental health counseling to first responders, guessed that hundreds would be impacted by the Monday tragedy.
Taylor is a retired police officer. He and FST5 are trying to curb the stigma that comes with mental health issues - as well as provide support to those willing to receive it.
"We’re trying to change that - get rid of that stigma. It’s okay to ask for help. If you tear your Achilles tendon, you’ll go to the doctor and get treatment, right?" he said. "If you pull a muscle up here what’s the difference? Go get treatment, make it better."
The agency has free help and are active on social media, along with a 24-hour helpline.
Detroit councilmember: City 'may have failed' police after off-duty officer killed during mental health crisis
A Detroit city councilmember said the city "may have failed" three police officers after an off-duty officer opened fire on two others in the midst of a mental health crisis before being fatally shot Monday.
For a field where anxiety, depression, and PTSD are facets of the job, the services are badly needed.
"When you’re a first responder, you may have a shift where you have two or three bad things. You gotta be back in 8 hours or 12 hours and start all over again - you don’t have time to process it," said Taylor.
Learn more at fst5.org