ACT NOW! State-Sponsored Violence Against Mental Illness Must End (MARVIN SCOTT)

Dear Governor Abbott, Attorney General Paxton, and TX Decision-Makers, Another man suffering from a mental illness was murdered by Texas law enforcement officials on your watch.  You are not doing your jobs - you are not even doing the bare minimum to protect all Texans. On March 14th, 2021, Marvin Scott, III was stopped by your officers for suspected marijuana use. He was clearly experiencing a mental health crisis and in need of care, and your officers responded by taking him to jail and brutalizing him. In his jail cell, Marvin was pepper sprayed, assaulted, held down with a knee, and physically restrained by 7 of your officers.  Marvin is not the first constituent of yours that this has happened to. A Texas police officer killed Patrick Warren, Sr. just two months ago. YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ACT NOW TO ENSURE THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN TO ANOTHER CONSTITUENT.  GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT: You admitted in your State Address that there is a mental health crisis. Employ statewide directives to demand your officers: • Take people suffering from mental health crises to a mental health hospital, NOT to a jail. • Communicate to your officers that if they come into contact with someone using marijuana, confiscate it, then leave them alone, take them home, or send them to a treatment facility. DO NOT ESCALATE AN ENCOUNTER BY ASSAULTING SOMEONE IN CRISIS OR ARRESTING THEM-- ESCALATION IS NOT A LEGITIMATE SOLUTION. • Provide additional training on how officers should respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis so as to avoid another deadly encounter.
 ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON: Your job is to enforce the Constitution. Make a statement and meet with your law enforcement officials to enforce the 4th Amendment of the Constitution. Unlawful searches and seizures are unconstitutional. This was an unlawful seizure. How many more times will you let this happen on your watch? Do your job and protect all Texans.