SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department has been honored in the past for its efforts to train officers in crisis intervention, but many are questioning how effective that training is after officers shot and killed a woman in her home on Friday.
The three officers involved, Sergeant Alfred Flores, Officer Eleazar Alejandro and Officer Nathaniel Villalobos are charged with murder.
Chief William McManus said the victim, Melissa Perez, was appearing to have a mental health episode and the use of deadly force was not reasonable. He said it was inconsistent with the department’s policy and training.
Licensed Professional Counselor Phil Ynostrosa-Travers works with Family Services. In the past, he helped train SAPD officers when dealing with domestic violence situations. He said from what he has witnessed, the department does a good job of training its officers.
“Law enforcement has responsibility which is why they do so much training regarding it, to respond to those episodes in a safe and caring manner,” Ynostrosa-Travers said.
Ynostrosa-Travers said when dealing with someone during a mental health episode, communication is key. He said first responders should try to reason with them.
“If she’s not in danger of hurting herself or anyone inside the home, then perhaps there’s an opportunity to withdraw and have other resources coming to the scene,” Ynostrosa-Travers said.
Melissa Perez’s family said she has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Ynostrosa-Travers said that could explain some of her actions that Friday morning.
“They may respond with aggression if they’re having an episode,” He said.
He said people experiencing an episode may also become delusional or hallucinate.
“They may perceive situations as highly threatening and very dangerous to themselves when in fact they may not be,” Ynostrosa-Travers said.
He said it is important officers use their de-escalation training.
“When it comes to responding, compassion I think is the key,” Ynostrosa-Travers said.
San Antonio Police have a Mental Health Unit that has been in place since 2008. KENS 5 reached out to the department to see how many officers are currently on that unit and if any of them responded to the scene Friday morning. We have not heard back.