Police officers in Howard County, Maryland, will be receiving a new kind of training to teach them how to appropriately handle situations involving people with intellectual disabilities.
In certain situations, people with intellectual disabilities, such as Down syndrome or autism, may not respond in the same manner as someone who does not have a disability. Training officers in how to react in these circumstances will not only keep citizens safe but could also potentially save lives which is why the need for such training was identified.
Three years ago, a 26-year-old with Down syndrome, Ethan Saylor, lost his life after a confrontation with Frederick County, Md., sheriff’s deputies at a screening of “Zero Dark Thirty.” The young man refused to leave after the conclusion of the film. After two security guards attempted to remove the man from his seat, he suffered a medical emergency and died.
