If there’s one thing even more shocking than the bare facts of the death of 47-year-old Krista Kach at the hands of police during a mental health crisis in Newcastle last week, it’s that similar deaths at the hands of police are happening with alarming frequency.
Kach died after a shot from a bean bag round pierced her chest. The use of bean bag rounds is classified as a less-than-lethal weapon in the police armoury (along with Tasers and capsicum spray). Kach’s family noted that they advised the police she was not well that day and needed medical help. They describe police actions as a heartbreaking response to a vulnerable person that had been told she would soon be homeless.
