Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper detailed a new agency policy where deputies will not respond to non-criminal mental health calls.
The policy changes are in response to a July 2024 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The ruling, Scott v. Smith, was the result of an overturned lower decision centered on non-criminal mental health calls for service.
The case came from a 2019 incident in Las Vegas when Roy Scott, who was experiencing hallucinations, called 911 for help. Two officers responded to the call and used force that led to Scott losing consciousness. He later died, CBS News reports.
The court found that the use of force by the officers was deemed unreasonable given that the call was a non-criminal mental health request. The court questioned whether any force was appropriate because a crime had not been committed.
Ultimately, the decision removed qualified immunity for law enforcement officers in cases where no crime is committed.
