Killing of Deborah Danner
Schizophrenic woman shot by police in her home.
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Deborah Danner, a 66-year-old woman with schizophrenia, was fatally shot by New York City Police Department Sgt. Hugh Barry in her Bronx home on October 18, 2016. The killing drew attention because Danner had written about the dangers of police interactions with people with mental illness. Barry was charged with murder and manslaughter but acquitted in 2018.
Background
Danner lived with schizophrenia and, in 2012, authored an essay called "Living With Schizophrenia." In it, she pointed out the dangers of police encounters for people with mental illness and suggested ways to avoid such tragedies. She noted that the saying "There but by the grace of God, go I" could easily describe her own situation. A devoted parishioner, she was a regular at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Trinity Church Wall Street, taking part in their community activities and ministries. A memorial service in her honor took place at St. John the Divine.
Aftermath
Sergeant Barry was placed on administrative duty and stripped of his badge and gun less than six hours after the death. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Barry had not followed training or protocols for dealing with those with mental illness and had neither used his Taser nor waited for specialized officers. Danner's death spurred a protest on October 19, with marchers including members of the New York Black Lives Matter chapter. Barry was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on May 31, 2017, but was acquitted by Judge Robert A. Neary on February 14, 2018.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Killing of Deborah Danner (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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