OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) – Olathe police to officially release young man’s name shot dead by police on Saturday night.
His family has already come forward and released photos and some information about the night.
27-year-old Brandon Lynch’s family says he suffered from schizophrenia.
His mother says the family called the police for help because of the mental state of the lynching that night.
Lynch’s mother, Maria Varnas, told KCTV5 that she has a lawyer.
Olathe police say they were summoned to the house for physical obstruction and Lynch proceeded toward officers with “sharp weapons”.
Officers say they used a taser, but it had no effect on him. Police say officers eventually fired his gun and beat Lynch to death.
A shooting team involving officers from multiple Johnson County jurisdictions is currently investigating what happened.
KCTV5 contacted Olathe police to ask if officers had crisis intervention training or if they were accompanied by “co-responders” with mental health backgrounds. Due to the ongoing investigation, Orais Police declined to answer these questions.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about 10% of police calls involve people with severe mental illness.
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