Is it protcol to shoot a mentally challenged person??? He has a history of being unstable and yet when help was called for he was shot and killed??? Do we have a SOP for treating the mentally challenged?? If not, they why don't we, in this day in age, with all the medications people are on, you would think that we would. Massachusetts helped him without incident and yet here in RI we killed a man that just needed to get some help.Why don't we have tranq darts, wouldn't that have been easier to subdue the suspect?? You can't interogate a dead person, but you can subdue and interogate a person that has been placed in a secure location and is under the supervision of a LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST.
I hope that all of the RI police departments re-evalutes the way that they handle and treat a mentally challenged person.

Perhaps sending a mental health practitioner to the scene would have more called for. Do police departments have mental health experts on staff and on call for these kinds of calls? This could ahve been avoided. Unfortunately for this mom she feels responsible for the death of her son. The police department needs to take ownership that they had a choice and they chose to kill him...for lack of other skills to deescalate the situation! Too sad...May the policemen and police department be forgiven for their acts...

My question is to the reporter, Brandie Jefferson. Why is it that no one at the Providence Journal ever investigates these police departments and their policy towards issues such as mental illness. This officer, more than likely, is not trained to deal with this type of problem. A taser may have allowed the victim to enter a hospital and have his issues dealt with in a professional manner. The officer will be cleared, as is protocol in RI, because the situation that HE caused actually gave him the just-cause to murder this sick person. What a shame that RI cops are not more educated. Working out at a gym doesn't make a good cop.

I wish the projo would challenge all police departments on every issue; however, mental illness is growing and should be addressed.

This is sad but I don't fault the police. Knowing her son had a mental health problem, especially considering he was recuperating from a nervous breakdown, then calling the police for help was wrong. She needed to call for an ambulance or otherwise get a ride to or help from Butler Hospital. You can't sic a mentally disturbed person on the police and expect the police to calm him down. That's not their job. No matter what they do, the patient is going to see it as aggressive and potentially harmful and will react just as aggressively. That' exactly what happened here.

Another police shooting in Pawtucket...this is getting kind of out of hand. I respect the men and women who wear a badge theirs is one of the toughest jobs out there but come on this can't keep happening

That is awful. When our the police going to stop justifying their actions. "We don't like to do it, but sometimes we have to. A young man in distress, who needs help, due to his state of mind? Come on. It's like the police are on a killing spree. I can imajine what alibi they will come up with for shooting and killing a person who needs help. And another thing, are police trained to shoot and kill all individuals? If they are, I'll never trust them.

Dakota

I think sometimes Police officers, especially young and inexperienced officers, get a little too nervous and make the wrong decisions. Sometimes it's based solely on the race and color of a person, and other times, I feel, lack of knowledge, experience, and compassion. Yes there are bad people out there and if you have a gun pointed at you, you should defend yourself. But remember. Officers are here to protect, serve, and uphold the law. Someone in Jason Swift's frame of mind could have been dealt with differently and his life saved. I think some officers have a "Rambo" mentality and forget what the purpose of their job it. This in turn sheds a bad light on the good officers out there who truly love what they do and what their positions stand for. When I was growing up, a police officer was not someone to fear, but respect and feel safe at his/her presence. Today, when you see an officer or hear the sirens, it doesn't bring up feelings of safety, but of fear, anger and hatred amoung most teens, in ethnic communities, and among minorities. I've had my experience in Providence, and would never call the police when I have an emergency. Not because of hatred, but because of resentment for help not given when needed. Make us look up to our protectors again, but first make us feel that we can trust you to be.

ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES. You WERE NOT at the scene of the incident, you are not police officers, you have never faced a violent situation where you have to decide who goes home to their family at the end of it, the police officer or the person causing the violence. I realize we all have our opinions, but please please hold off blaming anyone until more details are released and you can make a solid argument for either side!
I am a police officer and a advanced life support EMT. Every police officer receives numerous hours of training in dealing with mental health patients and the tactics for dealing with each situation. But what it comes down to is life or death, if the subject displays actions that can result in death or serious injury their actions will be met and exceeded by the police in oder to stop the subjects use of force, which may include shooting the subject to stop their actions....not the ideal situation but that's what the police are there for.

I feel for the mom. There was no need for a fatal shooting to take place. Why don't these officers learn to shoot someone in the leg, if that's what they 'need to do' to subdue someone? And, was there a need for 2 shots? I don't think so. They were all just pissed because one of their own got smacked by Jason. Cops these days are lacking common sense I think.

Of all the blogs I have never read so many ignorant comments regarding the police. The POLICE caused this???? Are you insane? This is a terrible thing that happened for all involved. Let's see what you would do when confronted with a samari wielding mentally disturbed man. You act as if you could tell him to calm down hug him and everything is all right. I am not sure that pawtucket has Tasers so that argument is out if they do not have the eqipment. People are so quick to just the recation to the situation than what caused the situation. Could there have been a better outcome?....Of Course! Should everything be investigated....of course! Should protocall be changed if necessary ....YES. Stop posting about location of the sword and all your other guesses that make your argument seem like it was premediatated murder.....what a disgusting comment that was. Police receive lots of training but situations arise that you could never prepare for, that is why they are investigated. Over 1 MILLION calls to Rhode Island police last year and you pick out the 5 or so bad ones a year. Guess the rest do not count. Police make mistakes and if they are aggregious they should pay for them. Until you put your life on the line for someone you do not know do not judge without all the facts. No all the details of a shooting do not need to be released to everyone until the investigation is over by the way. You go police and fire. Thank you for your help. The people who don't like you are 99.99% criminal or ignorant and .01% who have had a bad experience with police and that should be taken care of and will be if reported. Stop posting your feelings and learn the facts. The funny part is no matter what an ignorant, moron or hater you are Police will put their lives in danger to protect yours a nice irony. No matter what any outcome is they will never be satisfied. Don't want to deal with police.....then do not break the law. You people make me sick....I hope you never have to make the decisions that these fine men and women can have to make on any given shift!!

This is outrageous. There needs to be an investigation into the Pawtucket police department. I also believe a lot more training needs to be done. The police office who shot this innocent victim should be dismissed. I am totally outraged. These police officers think they are above the law and can do what ever they like and justify it. This was WRONG! The young man needed professional help and all they had to to was to take him to a facility. I believe the mother when she said the police got so mad when one of them had his glasses knocked off and that is why the situation escalated to what happened. Shame on the Pawtucket police department.

My condolences to Betty Swift on the loss of her son Jason.

It think part of the investigation should be a review of the protocol for responding to mental health emergencies.

Its a very sad an unfortunate event for sure, but please lay off the police departments and their officers...I think we all forget that policemen and women put their lives on the line daily for the service of their communities. Shootings can easily become a career ending event for some, not because they were incorrect in the action of shooting, but because of the emotional trauma of having to take another life in the line of duty. My wish is that society (and Parents in general) will seek out and provide proper medical treatment for alcoholics, drug abusers/dealers, mental illness and all the other 'ills' in society. Let's not forget a State Trooper had his head bashed into a sidewalk this summer, and clung to life for a very long time......bashed into the sidewalk by a man I believe was on drugs?
And one should remember that those policemen and women are someone's son or daughter also. Someone raised them to be fine upstanding individuals who are by no means a burden to society. They chose a noble and public serving
career - yet the same public they are protecting and serving, doesn't hesitant to place all the blame on them when a weapon is drawn. Imagine if the last four instances were reversed in Pawtucket, and the cops were taken down....it would not only have been a great loss to their families, but also to the Police Dept, City of Pawtucket, and Rhode Islanders in general. I am thankful we have police officers who perform the jobs they do. But then again, I am not a burden to society.....

PLEASE....they did what they had to do....a 300 pound man waving a samauri sword around is a shooting waiting to happen. Obviously nobody wants to see a mentally ill person shot because they're demonstrating symptoms of their illness, but the family of the police officers do not want their husband/father's head chopped off by a samauri sword either. Let's not rush to judge...and let us be thankful that this person did not hurt any inocent bystanders during this violent incident.

As the old saying goes police officer is the only job where the only people who judge you are the people who couldn't walk a day in your shoes.

NONE of you were there! none of you know what those officers were dealing with. That man being that large could have been on top of one of the officers choking him to death and the other officer may not have been able to stop him without deadly force! He could have had a knife or some other weopon. Of course the officer MAY have used to much force its not un heard of that an officer does the wrong thing but no one here knows that! no one here knows what happened in that room! The first job of a police officer is to go home to his family at the end of his shift if that means someone else has to die then that is the awful consequence. NO police officer wants to shoot someone!!!! This officer could possibly suffer serious mental issues for the rest of his life! Most of you couldn't walk a second in that officers shoes prior to or after the shooting so don't sit on your couch and judge him!

Does anyone know anyone else with "mental illness" They are the people we always make excuses for,(shooting sprees,hi-speed chases,women drowning their children, men killing their pregnant wives,)read the headlines. Watch the evening news! Let's for one minute think maybe we have a "MENTAL ILLNESS ISSUE" The worlds researchers spend more time and billions of dollars on a cure for bauldness and wrinkles, so we can look good so some one who has a "mental illness" can shoot and kill us in the mall or our college dorm. A loss of life is a loss of life no loss is less important than anyone else.I feel for all the people invovled.With that said I believe it all could have been avoided with the right medical care and proper medications!!

i

I can't believe how easy it is for people to jump on the actions used by police when situations like this arise. These are not the days of the Sherriff walking into a problem with his shotgun on his shoulder and walking out with a smoking barrell. Coming from a family of law enforcement and public safety members, each and every day forms totally different situations and circumstances. Do people forget that the police go through extensive firearm training every year and with that training they hone their decision making skills. When coming across an emotionally disturbed individual who stands 6' 4" and 300lbs., most people would turn and maybe run away. The police do not have that option!!! They are trained to use their weapon as a last resort to stop a threat that poses imminent danger to the officer or others. They do not train to shoot legs, arms, hands or other small targets, for a miss may injure an innocent bystander. And even with that, throw in an extremely high heart rate, major confusion, and distractions, an officer usually does not have time to stop,breathe, and aim like he was as a target range. Unlike 20-30 years ago, no longer do police hire individuals on how big and strong they are. Most police officers nowadays hold college degrees and or have been members of the military. They go through a long and arduous hiring process that takes months to complete. So please, do not fear or fault the police, their job is not easy. For those of you that think it is easy and believe they can do a better job, please walk into your local police station a fill out a job application. If not, don't judge, because you don't know!!!!

I am not one to read comments before making a post...So I went ahead and made my comment then read all other posts.
I have to say I am sickened by some of the things some of you people have said.
I know Betty and I knew her son Jason. Betty is the most honest, caring, thoughtful woman I have ever known in my life. I feel lucky to know her.
Her son was a good guy. Yes he recently developed emotional problems but when those were not an issue he was an amazing, fun loving person.
And how dare you say it was her fault for calling the police???? She blames herself already, isn't that enough? She did absolutely the right thing! The police were aware of his condition and the situation, why didn't they tell her she needed to call someone else?
I imagine she was scared for her son and simply dialed 911 which was the right thing to do!
They failed her and her son.
I am not a police basher. They do a lot of good for a lot of people, but they also make mistakes and there are times when they are wrong and this to me seems to be one of those times.
He was unarmed, naked and had already been maced.
The cop who shot him was on the force 2&1/2 years and I am sure he was scared and jumped the gun but that does not excuse the fact that he still did it and must be held accountable.
My heart goes out to the family and I pray they never have to read some of the things you heartless people have posted here!

I love the whiners who want cops to shoot people in the arm or leg, like it's a movie or something.

They are trained to shoot center mass until the threat is suppressed. If that means two shots, so be it!

Moreover, NONE OF YOU WERE THERE!!! Do you KNOW that this guy wasn't standing over an officer with some weapon other than the sword? Do you KNOW that he didn't have his hands around someone's neck? NO!

All you have is your inherent liberal bias against authority in general and police in particular.

You think it's so easy, go walk a beat. Wimps.

It so easy to sit in front of your computer and write disparaging remarks about honorable men/women who wear the badge. You have no idea what it is like to get thrown around a room by a subject from all reports was very large/strong. When you write about right and wrong, the commentors need to understand police officers are human beings. If you don't wield a samuri sword at the police then you don't get shot.
To write the police have no training in mental illness is an ignornant statement and you have no idea what your writing about. If the subject killed on of the police officers, I am sure the same people yelling foul would be saying "that poor mentally insane person."
Unfortunately, nobody won in this situation. From the dead person to the officer who has to lives with this shooting the rest of his life.
Have some tact and support the police officer because someday the shot they fire maybe protecting you from harm. You better hope they don't take an extra second to analyze the situation which results in someone innocent getting killed.

How anyone can blame the police department is beyond me. The man had a mental illness, she ADMITS such; therefore proper protocol is to call a DOCTOR or mental health professional, not a police officer. The police officer must defend him or herself and those around him/her.

Jason, my God rest his soul, was brandishing a lethal weapon at the police and acting uncontrollably. What choice did they have? What if Jason had broken loose and killed an innocent child? Then the readers would be lambasting the Pawtucket Police Department for not shooting him.

With respect to those readers who want tasers and tranquilizer darts; both of these items can and have killed. Tasers deliver 50,000 volts which have been known to cause heart attacks resulting in death. Also, if an individual is doped up, a taser may not do much at all. Tasers are good, in the right situation but expect that the police will be faulted for using them soon enough.

As far as tranquilizer darts are concerned, they contain a narcotic. A police officer is not licensed to dispense or prescribe narcotics. In addition, many people are allergic to narcotics which could cause shock and result in death.

These police officers are putting their lives on the line every day of the week for the people of Pawtucket and they do a damn fine job of it. I am very proud of the Pawtucket Police Department and the fine officers who serve there.

I am sorry for the loss of your frien's son. I also have not seen a single post (I could be mistaken) that says that anyone blames the mother. I think the tone is 3 sides in here. Those who want answers rightfully so and feel terrible for the family (as I feel almost all do).

Those who defend the daily lives and reality of police work and what a difficult position they have.

Lastly I will just say it...morons....who have ZERO idea about what happened and police work in general. They have gotten a ticket or more than likely have been arrested and have a grudge against the police for absolutely ANYTHING. They are the sicko's and cowards. They judge from knowing points after the fact. I said earlier that the police recieve over 1 million calls a year in this state alone. An exteremely tiny amount go wrong or need an investigation. Let it all play out then we can decide what really happened.

Let the young man rest, let the police heal, and let all of us learn and pray we are never in the situation in our lives. My heart goes out to all involved but do not blame the posters when nobody said that they blame the mother, because nobody does.

okay i heard officers arguing with each other, i have seen them take a lady out of a house with her legs spread apart, while others clapped, i have seen them treat people the wrong way, they are to serve and protect, that includes everyone, criminal or the innocent....they don't even get along with each other, they need more training and less extra duty to make more money....i don't care how long they have been in service, i know personally they get upset, and treat people wrong, if you don't like your job go into another field. everyone is considered innocent, this crap about them worrying about getting hurt, makes them feel like to shoot first, safety first yes, pull trigger should be secondary....oh so even one over six feet or over 250pds does make that person anymore uncontrolable,,so shoot first come on now...we all know that to get on force you also need to know someone....so let's get them better trained, stop the dam extra duties, for money and force them to be trained better...

Why are the police ALWAYS guilty until proven innocent? Their lives are on the line. Mentally ill or not the vicitm posed a threat to the officers' lives. Please stop condemning those who lay their lives on the line for you.

How Dare I question the actions of the police who killed an unarmed, naked man? I should just obey and believe everything I'm told. What country am I in? Police save people everyday, so do nurses, but does that mean when a nurse screws up and kills someone we should overlook it because her job is so hard? If the job is too hard for you then find another job. Stop hiring police officers that can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Many Pawtucket Police are angry men who struggle with small man syndrome so they rely heavily on their weapons. Is the cop that got his glasses knocked off the one that did the shooting?

This is totally outrageous,he wasnt armed in the dwelling and the situation could have been better situated had the officers in question for this situation. I hope the mother files a wrongful death suit and takes legal action,batons,tasers,cuffs,slap jacks,are these just decorations or are they trained on how to use them.They should have taken him down when he pulled his shirt over his head.

This is absolutely outrageous. I thought was a society in which we believe in "innocent until proven guilty". The in a legal system that maintains this virtue, one of the cogs in this very same virtue are not entitled to it?!

Bridget, Amy, Steve, Dakota, Dahlia, Donna, and Linda were you there? Tell me what was your version.

"Friend of Mom" I agree mom did the right thing in calling. But thats where I stop agreeing with you. It must be nice to sit in you cocoon and believe every problem has a perfect solution. It must be nice to have the time and the resources to call in someone else to fix the problem. These officers had a rapidly evolving situation in front of them.

I am sure that as the facts present themselves a better understanding of the situation will happen.

Lest not forget that Jason was involved in an act of domestic violence the night before.

I understand that this is a terrible tragedy for the Swift family and my heart goes out to them. But lets not forget that the officer that fired the shots must also live with taking another human life.

And as for those who believe that the police get off scott free, don't forget that these officers will have to testify in front of a grand jury. The police department does not justify the actions of their officers in these situations, a jury of people just like you, and an the Attorney General that you elected sort through the facts and make a decision.

God Bless the men and women in blue, keep up the good work!!!!!

My comment is since when does an unarmed man deserve to be shot. His mother asked for help, she called 911 for help. So stop, if it was your son, you would not be so quick to blame nor judge. He was unarmed when he was killed. May god bless you Betty and my prays are with you and your family.

As a family member I would like to say that first and foremost Jason was one of the most generous and giving people I knew. He helped when my own father was sick and bedridden. He spent many hours by his side keeping him company and doing whatever he could. At my fathers wake he was a paulbearer. How sad that now someone will be carrying his coffin. As for my Aunt Betty, she called 911 in hopes of help for her son. If you think that someone else should have been called then perhaps the police should have advised her of this. They obviously came to the scene thinking they could resolve the problem. I don't know what happened inside the apartment. I do know that Jason was unarmed and even in his emotionally disturbed state of mind he would never intentionally hurt someone. Maybe there were other ways this could have been handled but we can't change what happened. I ask that you please do not post negative things about Betty or Jason. Just as some of you do not want to see negative comments about the police it is disturbing to see rotten and rude comments about them also. Our family is very saddened by all this and do not need to be hurt further. All I know is that this world is one less a really great person and heaven just got back one of their angels. God rest your soul Jason.

I do not believe that any of you have a right to post a comment. None of you were there. None of you have lost a relative to a police shooting. None of you have a mental disability. None of you know what happened the night before with the domestic violence. It could not have been that terrible because he was not locked up. He was an unarmed man. The weapon had already been taken away. That is all that matters. This family, which I am a part of, all have broken hearts and the love of a family member is gone. All of you stating that it is not the officers fault...answer this question for me.......what if it was your son, brother, cousin, nephew or grandson. What would you think then? I understand that the officer now has to live with the fact that he killed a person...but the key is LIVE!!! Please have consideration for the family and the friends of the victim.

Are you kidding me?

You thought we lived in a society in which we believe in "innocent until proven guilty".

How about when they have someone thats been "Proven guilty and set free as innocent"???

I've been unhappy with the PPD for the past 8 years because of a situation involving my son.

Yes, he deserved to die, that much is clear. It all makes sense when everyone tells us how hard it is to be a cop, and how hard it is to imagine 'walking the beat'. The only way to deal with the mentally ill is obviously to chase them into their home and shoot them.

In fact, why don't we just put all of our mentally ill people in Pawtucket and give them bulls eye tshirts?

Stop crying for the police. They walk among us with guns and authority, both of which we have given them. They ARE accountable for their actions and should be held to the highest regard possible. Society should be judged by the actions of those placed in power. Their authoriy comes from us, the citizens, remember?

i have only known jay for a few short months and all i know was he lit up the room... yah he did have a history of nervous break down but does that give the police a reason to shoot too kill.. not shoot to wound... i am very saddened by his death and he will truly be missed... RIP Jay!!!!

The workers at Eleanor Slater Hospital deal with combative patients on a daily basis and are trained on how to subdue an out of control person. Many of these workers are women who work on all male wards. They do not have weapons or even pepper spray and there is no security to call for back up help. The police depend upon there guns too often as an easy way out of a tough situation. The mentally ill do not receive enough quality care in RI and we have the lovely Govenor Carcierri to thank for that with all his cuts and lay offs at state run facilities. Private inpatient mental health facilities only care about how much money they can get off the patient's insurance. When the insurance runs out, the patient is discharged whether or not he is ready to be. Govenor Carcierri has made alot of cuts at the state mental health hospitals. He has closed down alot of buildings and has taken away many workers jobs. As a result I believe that we are going to read alot more sad stories like this as the mentally ill are unable to get the help they need. If the Govenor needs to fix the state's budget deficit, why does he start with cutting his own salary. As always the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

I have known Jay for 23 years, He was the most careing person he was a big brother to my children he would come get them when they needed any thing , a friend a person to look up to ,Just to ride around and chat about girls,life,even me , I respect Betty she was a 2nd mom to my children, I would Know Betty is hurting because Betty is the type of person to help ANY ONE , she has taught me things on raisin my children and I'm sad that the police officer could have handle it in a diffrent way ,If he was armed at the time I could see this BUT HE WAS UNARMED , makes ya think if they could just come up with some thing in there heads and shot you and get away with it!!!!!!!

I've known jay for a long time. And aside from this situaton with his mental illness hes not a violent psycho some of you make him out to be. HIS weapon was taken for him. He was naked to prove he was unarmed.
Its a shame that THREE trained officers can't contain one naked man, reguardless of his size.
I understand police have a hard job..and i respect that.
What happend to firing one shot? Someone said that only happens in the movies.. well then all i can say is "REAL LIFE" police protocol is BS.
He was not in his right mind and he was probably scared. He had three men coming at him at once.
Someone posted that how do we know he didnt have his hands around one of the officers necks? Well if he did, im sure that officer would have been taken to the hospital. The officers were only treated for minor bruises. I can get a bruise from bumping my leg on the table.
Jason was one of the most funny, nice, caring people i have ever known. He could always find humor in anything and always make you laugh.
He will be missed by so many.

It is sad to see so many misinformed people posting "how it should have been handled" from the perspective of someone who clearly is not familiar with law enforcement or dealing with the mentally ill.
First I challenge anyone above to show me a police deadly force policy that states Officers should "shoot to wound." Its called deadly force for a reason!!!! A sword would be a "deadly weapon." Secondly, from my view point as a Police Officer and how it all works out, where are these trained mental health workers that will go out to a scene and help just as police/fire/rescue do? I can speak for the South County area, mental health workers will not respond to the police station after the fact much less out to a dangerous scene. Mental health counseling begins when the person is brought to the hospital first to be medically cleared then they will be able to talk to someone. Let the investigation determine what happened in this case.
A few other points to think about for all the above who have the magic solution. Have they ever received training at the Police Academy from a retired Pawtucket Police Officer who was brutally attacked with a knife? Have they ever made a motor vehicle stop and been confronted with a loaded gun someone had stashed at their feet? A police shooting is never what anyone wants. However when attacked, and called to the scene by in this case the mother, Officers are bound to protect both themselves and all citizens. Rest assured that although some will attack the Pawtucket Police for "a number of police shootings" the PPD will still respond and do the job they are sworn to do with dedication and bravery.
Law Enforcment does not look at police shootings on a scorecard like the ACLU. Allow for the investigation to uncover exactly what occured, not that this is the fourth shooting and as such a problem.

As sad as it is I am sick of the whiners and yes the family members I have lost a police officer family member to violence so do not talk the talk to me. You say how kind and gentle this young man was and act as if he was doing nothing wrong and he had a target on him. Yup the police saw a mentally ill man and said let's go kill him.

You like to ask the question what if it was your son or nephew etc. I'll ask you this question....what if YOU were the officer with a samari wielding man. I could care less if he dropped it and ran inside, your saying the police are to ASSUME he has no other weapons, ASSUME he would never hurt anyone, ASSUME that it is IMPOSSIBLE for this person to injure or kill them or someone else.

You people are ridiculous. If you knew he had this serious of mental probems then shame on YOU for not getting him the help he needed. The police should be invetstigated to make sure everything was done according to procedure and corrected if not.

You should all look in your hearts and wonder why your blaming others. Look in the mirror. Great how you care about this young man when he has passed but obviously not enough to stop him from his sword.

If he was so gentle why couldn't a relative just ask him to put it down. Obviously there was some fear of harm to someone or it would have been handled differently or they would have called one of your relatives.

You all say you hear of police doing bad things all the time. Know what I hear....normal or "mentally challeneged" people with no history of violence killing 30 people at VA TECH, drowning their children, shooting up schools, malls, kiiling co workers. All these people who were "good" people or had a problem. So which is it? Do we let all of it play out. I assume you are volunteering to talk to all the families that are affected by people like this when they hurt innocent victims and kill police. I guess that would be ok with you.

It sucks your friend and relative was killed. I feel for you as I HAVE been there. But use your anger and sadness to make changes to protect people like him. Use that energy to find a way to help the police and your comminuty understand what could have been done. Do a study. Stop looking for excuses it will only burn you up.

Sorry to be harsh but your tragedy does not give you carte blanche to take out all your anger on the people who deserve it least.

May God rest his soul and may a long term good come from this so there are no more hurt family members and no more public safety officers who have to feel like this.

This incident occurred just five blocks from Gooding Street where Maria Carvalho bled to death a few months ago, after her neighbor called 911 when Maria's dialysis shunt failed and the Pawtucket dispatchers did not immediately send an ambulance.
Just two blocks further from Gooding Street is Coyle Avenue, where last year Jason Audette was killed by 11 police-fired bullets.
Welcome to Pleasant View.
Welcome to Rhode Island.

Anyone who is so ready to condemn the police officers for not wanting or being unable or uncaring enough to help the mentally challenged may have a point. Please contact the PPD and give them your name and contact number so that the next time the PPD is faced with a similar situation they can call you to respond so that you can respond and handle the situation with all your empathy and experience. That way all the relatives, friends, reporters and ACLU types can be assured that the evil hate mongers in blue dont destroy another life. Thanks for your cooperation!!

sincerely,

WANTS TO HELP

I hadn't seen Jay for a few years when I found out this morning that he was the victim of this shooting. While I hadn't spoken to Jay in awhile, I knew him for several years and I want to vouch for his character. He was a sweet, gentle guy with a great sense of humor. If he was behaving in a threatening manner, it must have been due to mental health issues and disorientation. The "Big Jay" I knew wouldn't harm a fly. I will pray for his family.

First of all, sorry for the loss to the Swift family. Second, GREAT JOB to the men and women of the Pawtucket Police Department.
This man was a serious threat to the Officers and the public which the Police are responsible to protect and serve.Everyone has all these comments but no one has the facts. Everytime you send an officer to a call, that officer does not know what he/she will encounter once they arrive. Incidents change in seconds not minutes or hours. Everyone likes to blame the Police, but when you're in trouble you will be the first people to call them. If you want to blame someone, blame his family for not getting the help he needed or BUTLER Hospital for releasing him.
My other comment is for all these people who commented on the officers actions of using pepper spray and attempting to subdue him, GUESS WHAT, pepper spray does not work on most mentally disturbed persons-do your research. Next time you're out there, find a male who is 6'4", 300lbs,naked,has just been pepper sprayed, sweaty,and mentally disturbed and you try to calm him down in a close proximity and see what happens, its not easy.
The Pawtucket Police Department is a highly trained and well respected department in the state and Country. Next time you see one of these fine officers, how about saying THANK YOU and GREAT JOB in protecting us and our city. If you think its easy being a Police Officer, then apply and try it for yourself.
Finally, ACLU, please get your facts correct before making a comment in the paper or TV.

Please support the Men and Women in BLUE...especially the men and women of the Pawtucket Police Department......

I think that all of us that knew Swifty and believe that his death was caused by the Pawtucket police should get together and honor his memory band together the residents of Pleasant View and show or elected officials that we know there is a big problem here and that something needs to be done. Our paramedics don't respond when another young mans mother bled to death. Jonh was also a friend of Swifty. The cops are called to help a young man who has mental health issues and shoot him to death.Its like we can only stand by and watch he people who are paid to protect us not doing their jobs. If protecting us means shooting a naked unarmed man I would rather not be protected by them but from them

I have a pretty good idea what happened once they were behind closed doors. I know how the Cops can be when there pissed off. Specially the Pawtucket Cops.

I also knew Jay pretty well, he was someone I saw every weekend. He was very charming guy, big heart, and would blow me away with his philosphy and how the world should be. Jay was not a violent person. He just had alot of problems just like everyone else. He's not at all the person the media is making him out to be. And the reason he took off his clothes was because it was to show the Police that he was unarmed, He had done that once before, Jay was not stupid. He must of known the police were going to draw on him

I hope something is done about this, and hope Justice is served
My condolences to the family and to everyone who was affected by this.

I have lived on Gooding Street 4 years,Pleasant View neighborhood.On Gooding Street.And although it is not one of the best places in the world,it is my home and I have been happy. I am now raising my daughter in the same area I was born and raised. Bad things happen EVERYWHERE and alot. Bad things happen to good people and bad. Thankfully we have police. I personally appreciate them. We are all human's. Mistakes are made, people get hurt.
I am so sorry for the family who lost a son, a father and more.
Unfortunately it is not the first and won't be the last. There are more to the stories than what you read in the paper and hear. Don't point fingers, because you don't know.
I don't either.
My heartfelt prayers to the Swift Family and my appreciation to law enforcement everywhere who are doing there BEST.
I love Pleasant View. I am traveled far from home and always looked foward to coming home. To the familiar place, the stores I like, the people I know, my family and a lot more. Just because things aren't so great around you doesn't make your house not a HOME.