When Trying to Help Gets You Fired
For some cops, offering a hand could mean losing your job.
In May 2016, Stephen Mader arrived at the scene of a domestic disturbance and quickly realized the young black man standing before him was in emotional distress. Mader asked the young man, R.J. Williams, to drop the pistol he was holding in his right hand.
“I can’t do that. Just shoot me,” Williams replied. Mader, who is white, recognized that Williams was attempting suicide by cop and did not shoot. Instead, he tried to
