I see a huge problem here - LE are supposed to "take in" mentally ill persons that their families cannot handle, mentally ill persons that often refuse to take their meds. If they don't take their meds they become dangerous to everyone. Are LE supposed to subject themselves to dangers the families cannot handle? Is that what they get paid for? From what I'm hearing, I suppose it is. "That's their job", say some, but is their "job" to wait and see if they will get killed by the mentally ill person wielding the gun, knife, bat, whatever? Or, is their job to diffuse the situation?
Diffusing the situation may entail "talking them down", which probably will not work. Often a taser is used, but just as often, it does no good. What now? Standing their and be attacked, beaten, killed? What are the options? Are there any others?
Quite frankly, anyone who is mentally ill and goes off their meds is NOT ready to be in society. Whenever that happens I support LE. Sorry, but I would rather see the mentally ill taken out than a police officer killed because someone could not help themselves. We live in a sick society and it's no wonder we have these problems, in my opinion.