On August 3, 2023, 22-year-old Marquis Rivera was contemplating suicide. He dialed 911. But when Columbia, Missouri, police arrived, they figured Rivera was “fine,” even after he admitted having a gun. Six minutes after they left, Rivera called again. He fired his gun into the air before tossing it. Four officers shot him dead.
According to the Appeal, Rivera’s mother Katuiscia Penette says police didn’t even reach out. Ralph Edwards, Rivera’s father, is a trained Chicago mobile crisis team member -- and pointed out every single thing the cops did wrong. Officers failed to keep Rivera engaged and talking. They missed red flags in his body language and didn’t suggest hospitalization as an option. Then they left him armed.
Officers didn’t de-escalate. They shot. And what happened is all too common. It’s called law enforcement-forced-assisted suicide, or “suicide by cop.”
Ten percent of fatal police shootings yearly are suicidal victims who call the police intending to get killed. For a Black person like Rivera, disarming himself and telling police to shoot implies he knew he just had to trust the system not to value his life.
Understanding what went wrong after Rivera’s 911 call empowers us to advocate for better. Policing deteriorates our mental health, then takes our lives for us when we consider suicide. We deserve alternatives, not death sentences.