[https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2017-05-01/how-do-n-h-police-decide-to-shoot-or-not-shoot-when-facing-armed-ill-or-addicted-people]

This is a really interesting look at a lot of the questions we all have, but it also raises others that are pretty complicated

It has some interviews with police, and one of the examples actually used is a drunk man armed with a knife and mental health problems who was successfully talked down and convinced to drop it in the street while his kids and family were in the driveway. It’s hard to contrast that with Mischa’s death because the subtle differences may have changed the outcome (ie, they were outside and not in a confined space; it was broad daylight; the man had kids nearby) but it’s interesting to hear what a police officer has to say about a cops vs knife scene in NH

Some of the language is vague and could be better— “many” officers getting special deescalation training doesn’t tell us much, and they could have easily included the data on that. Regardless of how complex the topic at hand is and how contentious our conversation has been, I really think you’ll appreciate this piece

Notable: “The highest level of training teaches police that if their efforts to defuse a situation fail, they should shoot if they believe they themselves could be killed.”