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Connections: Training Police To Effectively Interact With People Who Have Autism

Parents of children with autism have expressed their shock and concern after North Miami police shot a caregiver of a man with autism. Police have said that when Charles Kinsey was shot, they were trying to shoot the man with autism next to him. The officers mistook a toy truck for a gun, despite Kinsey's insistence that the man was frightened and not armed.

For parents, this is an extreme example of what happens when authorities are not trained to understand how to interact with people who have autism. From schools to police, parents want to know if proper training is happening. Our guests will discuss it:

  • Chief Michael Ciminelli, Rochester Police Department
  • Deputy Brian McCoy, Monroe County Sheriff's Department
  • Rachel Rosner, director of education and support services for AutismUp
  • Dave Whalen, director of first responder disability awareness training at Niagara University
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
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