The heart-wrenching story of a 17-year-old autistic kid fatally shot 9 times on his porch in Idaho haunts our community. Law enforcement had a fence as a barrier, yet immediate, lethal force was still used. This incident underscores a serious problem in our current law enforcement paradigm: the lack of comprehensive training to understand disabilities and mental health.

As we grapple with this tragedy, we cannot overlook the fact that this isn't an isolated issue. Statistics indicate that one-third to half of all people killed by police have a disability [source: Ruderman Family Foundation]. Our community, our families, our vulnerable kids, are experiencing the devastating impacts of this deficit in law enforcement's understanding and perception of disabilities and mental health.

Therefore, we call on our local and national legislation and law enforcement agencies, to allocate specific resources to the mental health and disability training for our police forces. We need them to see beyond immediate stereotypes, to understand the complexities of mental states, to be equipped to handle sensitive situations with the respect and care they deserve.

Do not let the tragic shooting of a 17-year-old autistic youth be another statistic. Let it propel us to effect real change. Sign this petition for us to improve our law enforcement's understanding of disabilities and mental health.