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URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2178693,00.html
Teen's death spurs 'Paul's Law' plan

By Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News
August 13, 2003

A state lawmaker met Tuesday with the family of Paul Childs and advocates of the developmentally disabled to discuss a proposal that would require all police officers to undergo training to help them in confrontations involving the mentally ill.

The proposed bill, "Paul's Law," is named after Childs, a developmentally disabled teenager shot and killed July 5 by a Denver police officer while Childs was carrying a knife in his home. Rep. Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, plans to introduce it in January.

Carroll would be a co-sponsor of the bill that is expected to be brought before the state House by its author, Rep. Rosemary Marshall, D-Denver.

Carroll cautioned Paul Childs' mother, Helen Childs, her brother, the Rev. Michael Thompson, and her daughter, Ashley, that "Paul's Law" might be challenged by other lawmakers.

"Anytime you raise a challenge to law enforcement, you're viewed as soft on crime," Carroll said.

The meeting took place at the offices of ARC of Denver Inc., an advocacy group for disabled people, which also is backing "Paul's Law," said Aileen McGinley, the organization's executive director.

Essentially, the proposal would require all law enforcement officers and emergency dispatchers in Colorado to undergo crisis-intervention training. Carroll said the training also would focus on how officers, sheriff's deputies and State Patrol troopers should deal with suspects who are mentally disabled, did not take their medication and are behaving irrationally.

The ultimate goal is to keep officers from firing their weapons at developmentally disabled suspects who may be confused about the confrontation they find themselves in, Carroll said.

Helen Childs said she strongly supports the proposed bill.

"I want this to be like the Amber Alert," she said. "I want this to be national."

Carroll pointed out that the proposal still doesn't answer where law enforcement agencies would get the money to pay for the crisis-intervention training.

He is expected to meet with Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar and other lawmakers to discuss using a portion of the new 25-cent vehicle-registration fee to help pay for the training.

Carroll also told the group that he is considering an idea that would require all law enforcement jurisdictions to let outside investigators probe officer-involved shootings.

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