Dustin Paradis

Name: Dustin Paradis.
Died: October 13, 2021.
Age at death: 34.
Cause of death: Police shooting.
Location: Augusta, Maine, USA.

Details:
Dustin lived at a homeless shelter when he had a fight with another resident. Staff called the police, who fatally shot Dustin. The other resident was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say Dustin was holding a knife, but Dustin’s family and neighbors say they should have tried to defuse the incident without killing Dustin. “He needed help,” a neighbor says, “…but nobody was helping him.”

References:
Neighbors question whether Augusta police needed to shoot, kill man with autism
Man threatening people with knife shot, killed by police in Augusta
Police ID man shot by officer in Portland

Eric Liao

Name: Eric Liao.
Died: September 9, 2021.
Age at death: 30.
Cause of death: Restraint-related.
Location: Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

Details:
Eric had a meltdown at a bowling alley and bit his caregiver. Staff at the bowling alley pinned him down and called police. Only when police had already handcuffed Eric did they notice he was unresponsive; and by then, it was too late. Eric was dead on arrival at the hospital.

References:
Omaha man’s death being investigated as in-custody death
Omaha police investigate in-custody death
Omaha police investigating in-custody death at bowling alley

Semina Halliwell

Name: Semina Halliwell.
Died: June 12, 2021.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Suicide (Medication overdose).
Location: Southport, England, UK.

Details:
Semina was raped, allegedly by an older boy at her school. Traumatized, she told her mother what had happened. Semina, her mother, and her aunt went to the police together; she named her attacker and reported the rape.

But the police did not attempt to help her. Instead, the lead detective only talked about how much paperwork she’d have to do, and how the case would take a long time, and how it would be her word against his.

After reporting the rape, Semina was harassed at school and online. She was assaulted at school, and her family was threatened with violence.

Three months after she first reported the rape, Semina told her parents that she was fed up, went to her room, took an overdose of medication, and died.

References:
Girl ‘took life when police discouraged her from pressing rape charge’
Rape victim, 12, took her own life after police discouraged her from pressing charges
Semina Halliwell: Rape victim, 12, took her own life directly after police interview, her mother tells Sky News
Mum’s tribute to daughter, 12, who took her own life ‘after being raped and bullied’

Edwin Arrigo

Name: Edwin Arrigo (also called Edwin Armigo or Erwin Arnigo).
Died: May 23, 2021.
Age at death: 18.
Cause of death: Police shooting.
Location: Valenzuela City, Phillippines.

Details:
Edwin was known in his village as a helpful child who would do anything for anyone without asking for anything in return.

Edwin lived near an illegal cock-fighting ring. He was shot by police, but the story the police tell, and the story his family tells, are different.

The police say he was at the cock-fight, and they shot him because he tried to grab one of their guns. But Edwin’s family says that he was nowhere near the illegal cock-fight, and the police dragged him there so that they could justify having shot him during their break-up of the cock-fighting ring. The family says they have witnesses who can corroborate their story, and who say they saw the police grab Edwin in a bear hug, shoot him at close range, and drag him away.

The police officers involved have been fired. An investigation is underway.

References:
Hustisya, sigaw ng pamilya ng 18-anyos na may autism na napatay ng pulis sa Valenzuela
PNP dismisses cop over death of teen with autism
Eleazar OKs dismissal of cop involved in death of autistic teen in Valenzuela
No ‘agawan ng baril:’ Witness claims death of teen in Valenzuela ‘accidental’
NBI to probe death of man with autism killed in Valenzuela police raid
Four Police Officers Relieved After Filipino Teen Shot Dead During Raid
CHR to probe death of ‘autistic’ teenager in police operation in Valenzuela City

Ayushi Majethia

Name: Ayushi Majethia.
Died: March 27, 2021.
Age at death: 27.
Cause of death: Accidental/Negligence (Dehydration/pneumonia after going missing).
Location: Chembur, Maharashtra, India.

Details:
Ayushi, who had intellectual disability as well as autism, went to a nearby temple with her mother. They became separated, and Ayushi got lost. The family went to police, asking for help. They showed the police her mental health certificate. Her brother explained that Ayushi was a vulnerable disabled person and they needed to start searching for her right away, because she could easily be hurt on her own.

But the police did not file a First Information Report until Ayushi had been missing for 17 days. Some people saw her on the trains, and one of Ayushi’s friends who saw her also called the police; but nothing was done.

It wasn’t until May 3 that Ayushi’s family were informed that she was dead. Her body had been found two days after she went missing; she had died of dehydration and pneumonia, and her body had been cremated a day later because all the mortuaries were full of COVID victims. Her family had to identify her from pictures.

Had the police acted when they asked for help, Ayushi’s family believes she would be alive today.

References:
Mumbai: Family claims police delay led to missing autistic woman’s death