Family pushing for crisis intervention training for all Tulare Police officers

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- On a day when a heavy storm was approaching, friends and family of 27-year-old Jontell Reedmon marched to city hall in Tulare.

The former Tulare Union High standout football player's mom, Anyka Harris, wearing his jersey, carried a petition with nearly a thousand signatures.

She started it nearly a month ago after Reedmon was shot and killed after getting into altercation with Tulare Police.

We were there on Friday when Harris handed the request over to Tulare's mayor and police chief on the steps of city hall, asking that all officers go through crisis intervention training.

Interim Police Chief Barry Jones says between 20 and 30 officers have received the training.

He tells Action News he would like for all of them to get the certification, but says money is the obstacle.

"Because of the resources and finances available to that, we are limited on the officers we can send at a time, we are going to go to city council so that we can get 100% of our officers trained."

Mayor Carlton Jones hopes that is something council will approve.

"Whenever our department says we need this, and the community is saying to give them that, I think council has to listen to that. You have to move money to make it happen, and dig in your back pocket, or take it out of your reserve, or savings. Make it happen.

While loosing her son has been hard, Harris says she is choosing to make purpose out of his death.

"His death will not be in vain. Jontell will bring change, not only to Tulare, but across the nation in regards to how officers approach mental health patients."