De-escalation training for crisis intervention teams will soon be universal statewide

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Certain police calls often require quick thinking and training to handle a delicate situation.

Several Newport News police officers are on administrative leave after they shot and killed a man on Crown Court on Monday , after the man reportedly was suffering a mental health crisis.

Police say a crisis intervention officer tried to de-escalate the situation, and the man ignored commands to drop what resembled a gun. That’s when officers opened fire. Investigators later determined the man had a BB gun.

Crisis intervention team training (CIT) allows people to approach situations and use different methods on how to calm people down.

One of the emergency service managers with Virginia Beach says this training was created as a jail diversion program in 2008. Now it helps police respond to someone in a crisis.

“Over the course of CIT, over 700 officers in Virginia Beach have been trained in CIT; we really use it as a de-escalation and how to educate police,” said Cheryl St. John.

St. John says the best way to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis is to remain calm and be mindful.

“Knowing more about yourself and how you’re feeling and to remain calm no matter what is in front of you, that’s difficult,” St. John said.

Right now, each locality teaches the training differently. St. John said a statewide program is in the works.

“Having this universal lesson plan will certainly speak to having a uniform standard when training and making sure that everybody’s getting the same curriculum, the same type of training regarding de-escalation,” St. John said.

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