AN AUTISTIC 13-year-old boy is in serious condition after police shot him “several times” during a “mental episode.”
Linden Cameron was shot by a Salt Lake City Police officer in Glendale, Utah on Friday night.
The young teen sustained injuries to his shoulder, both ankles, intestines, and bladder, according to his mom, Golda Barton, who spoke with KUTV 2News.
Barton revealed that her son has Asperger Syndrome – a condition on the autism spectrum and developmental disorder that affects ability to effectively socialize and communicate.
During Linden’s mental breakdown, Barton called police and requested a crisis intervention team (CIT).
She recalled telling police her son was “unarmed,” “just gets mad” and “starts yelling and screaming.”
“He’s a kid he’s trying to get attention, he doesn’t know how to regulate,” she explained.
According to Barton, CIT was “supposed to come out and be able to deescalate a situation using the most minimal force possible.”
However, Barton said within five minutes of officers arriving on scene, she heard: “Get down on the ground.”
The command was followed by several gunshots, she claimed.
Speaking in a 2News interview on Sunday night, the upset mom questioned why police “didn’t just tackle him?”
“He’s a baby. He has mental issues,” she said.
Following the incident, Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Keith Horrocks said officers were contacts for a reported “violent psych issue” involving a boy “having a mental episode” and “making threats to some folks with a weapon,” KUTV reported.
Harrocks added: “During a short foot pursuit, an officer discharged his firearm and hit the subject.”
The boy was transported to the hospital in serious condition.
The Salt Lake City Police Department are now conducting an officer-involved shooting investigation.
Anyone who may have been in the area during the shooting or had relevant security camera footage is urged to call SLCPD at 801-799-3000.
Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a Sunday statement: “While the full details of this incident are yet to be released as an investigation takes place, I will say that I am thankful this young boy is alive and no one else was injured.
“No matter the circumstances, what happened on Friday night is a tragedy, and I expect this investigation to be handled swiftly and transparently for the sake of everyone involved.”
A GoFundMe campaign, created for Linden’s medical bills, has raised more than $12,000.
Linden is described as a video game lover who enjoys longboarding with his older brother.
“The long term effects of his injuries are still unknown, but it is likely that his recovery will be long and require multiple kinds of treatment,” the GoFundMe reads.
“The money from this fund will be used to pay for Linden’s hospital bills, physical therapy, and trauma healing for Linden, and also to assist his family as they move through his healing.”
