I’ve been deeply concerned about an incident in Wichita, Ks.
A young man, Cedric Lofton (17) was in the foster care system and experienced a mental health crisis. His foster care dad called 911, and it was believed by all that Cedric would be admitted for inpatient services, but law enforcement officers altered documentation to reflect that he would otherwise be locked up in a juvenile facility as they did not want to transfer him for care.
This young man died while in police custody and the incident was ruled a homicide. A task force was developed to find facts of the case and make recommendations, while Kansas DCF investigated Cedric’s death and I wonder as I advocate for individuals with mental illness in our criminal justice system, perhaps I could help with legislation to define and narrow ‘stand your ground’ laws in Kansas.