How Police Learn to Work with People with Autism

In recent years, multiple incidents involving the police and people with autism have been highlighted in the media. For example, think about the story of Charles Kinsey in Miami. Kinsey works as a behavioral therapist for people with disabilities. Arnoldo Rios, a man who has autism, was seen on the side of the road playing with a toy truck, which bystanders mistook for a weapon and called the police. Kinsey went to bring Rios back to a care facility, and then the police showed up. The police greatly misinterpreted the situation, still believing that Rios was holding a weapon and not a toy, and fired their own gun, which hit Kinsey in the leg. Thankfully, Kinsey survived the incident, but it’s clear that the officer did not understand what was happening and that the boy with autism was in no way seeking to cause anyone harm. 

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