Here are six key takeaways from our reporting:
1. What happened: On Feb. 19, Jayden Stephenson’s mother called police. “He’s got a mental illness,” she said in a 911 call. “There is something going on with him.” Miami Twp. police arrived to her home to find him sitting on a barstool holding a boxcutter.
2. Watch the video: Video of the incident shows police attempting to use restraint, opting several times for less-than-lethal measures. But attempts to disarm him proved unsuccessful and led to him being shot to death in an upstairs bedroom when he came at officers while still holding the boxcutter. You can watch the video in the story.
3. Mom says: Reporter Eric Schwartzberg interviewed Stephenson’s mother, Christina Schindler, who believes her son might still be alive if police had spent more time focused on negotiating and de-escalating and less time on trying to disarm him.
- “Everybody just loved him,” said Schindler, wearing a heart locket with a photo of her son inside. “He just had this light about him that people just loved.”
4. Law enforcement expert: “If the person is not compliant, (and) they continue to possess a weapon, and then they turn and lunge and go after somebody, another person, a police officer ... sometimes, unfortunately, then the lethal force is not only permitted, but in some cases, actually required in order to prevent somebody from being killed,” said Steven Meacham, a Cedarville University associate professor of criminal justice.
5. Mental health expert: Someone working to get help for a loved one with mental health issues typically should start with calling the 988 Lifeline for help and not 911, according to Luke Russell, executive director for NAMI Ohio, the state chapter of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization.
6. Other case: On Oct. 19, 26-year-old Taylor Cotton was shot and killed by Dayton police after pointing a shotgun at officers during a mental health call. After 25 minutes of de-escalation attempts, officers fired when Cotton raised the weapon, which was later discovered to be unloaded.