The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is gravely concerned on the events that transpired prior to the death of Angelo Quinto, a Filipino-American in California, USA, when a responding police officer knelt on his neck for almost five minutes in an attempt to de-escalate an episode of mental health illness. The police action allegedly caused his death.
Incidents like this draw our attention to revisiting law enforcement’s response to situations involving people with mental illness. It is a clear violation of the right against discrimination, as enshrined in human rights law, when authorities fail to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. More so, the deprivation of life by law enforcers is a matter of utmost gravity that demands accountability and genuine State commitment to prevent arbitrary killing by its own security forces.
Police mishandling of the situation not just only results to irrevocable harm, but also fosters lack of trust and reluctance among family members to call the police for assistance during a crisis if they think their loved one may get hurt or killed as an outcome of their intervention.
The CHR shall communicate to proper Philippine government offices in the US to monitor the status of the case.
We express our deepest condolences to the family of Angelo and hope for the swift delivery of justice on his untimely passing.
