Armchair analysts can't help in tragic shooting.

Byline: Cynthia Whitfield For The Register-Guard

In a Nov. 16 editorial about Ryan Salisbury's death, The Register-Guard juxtaposed two facts - Salisbury was dead, and police needed better training. In other words, because police aren't trained to deal with mental illness, they killed Salisbury. The editorial's tone implied there was some training technique out there that would have prevented the tragedy, and that it was the police's fault they didn't have it.

This is not necessarily true, and such statements might rouse vigilante-type anger against the police before all the facts are in, or cause further grief for the family. Perhaps we also need training to help us comment fairly and effectively when these kinds of tragedies occur.

The police were called because Ryan was smashing windows, threatening suicide and carting around a large kitchen knife. Although the family said in retrospect he would never hurt them, the fact that they were barricaded in a room suggests they were probably afraid for themselves and their younger children at some point. I would be.

The police found Ryan outside and asked him to drop the knife. When he failed to comply, they shot beanbags at him, but he continued to advance. People experiencing psychotic episodes sometimes show this kind of improbable strength and intensity. It must have seemed incredible to the officers. Salisbury continued to charge police, shouting `Shoot me, man.'

The officer who fired must have thought his life was in danger, because he fired several shots. Maybe he was afraid nothing would stop this man. Maybe he had his own family he didn't want to leave behind. Maybe he simply freaked and reacted out of pure fear.

There's a name for what happened to Ryan. It's called `suicide by cop.' It occurs when someone suicidal acts aggressively toward police in a way that practically ensures their own death, and in their own mind, the end of their suffering. Police officers have to live with these deaths for the rest of their lives. Many suffer long-lasting depression or post traumatic stress disorder.

Don't get me wrong. I do believe today's police need to know a lot more about mental illness and other neurobiological disorders than their fathers did. The police department said it recently conducted a training session on the subject, and acknowledged the need for more. A generation ago, many people with severe illnesses were hospitalized indefinitely. Now, most live in the community, and police need to be as knowledgeable as possible about the hallmarks of the various disorders.

This isn't always as easy as it sounds. Many mental health professionals are unskilled in crisis intervention, according to psychologist Michael Conner, an Oregon expert in crisis, trauma and emergency psychology. These professionals have good intentions, but don't realize how unstable, critical and demanding a crisis can become, Conner says.

In this particular situation, I'm not sure how more training could have helped, unless we train police to allow themselves to be attacked as long as the person attacking is mentally ill.

Mental health experts agree that only a minority of people with bipolar disorder become violent. Children and teenagers with the disorder are more likely to become destructive or violent than adults.

It often takes time to find the correct combination of therapy and medication to keep bipolar symptoms at bay. The response to treatment varies from apparent full recovery to lack of response. Bipolar disorder is usually a chronic, recurring illness, with a relatively high risk of suicide.

In our quick-fix society we want to believe that as long as someone is seeing a doctor, everything should work out. But many variables can undermine even the best treatment. Not getting enough sleep, using drugs or alcohol, or stressful events can allow bipolar symptoms to break through, experts say.

A better way to handle this? I'd suggest first acknowledging that this situation was a tragedy for all involved - Ryan, his family and the police officers. The Salisbury family doesn't hold a grudge against the police, perhaps because they actually lived the terror of that night. We're just armchair analysts who have no idea what we would do if faced with a similar situation.

Ryan's family was held hostage to his mental illness that night. It was the second time police were called to the house when he was suicidal. His death brought an end to any fear of such repeated terror, although it also brought great pain. The reality is that we cannot always depend on mental health professionals or police, trained or not, to ensure a happy ending to every crisis. Just as medical doctors sometimes fail, so do mental health professionals.

Someday we may have better tools for coping with severe forms of this disorder. But right now, despite everyone's best efforts, management occasionally falls short. Not everyone manages to live with this illness.

Rest in peace, Ryan.

Cynthia Whitfield of Eugene (cynhome2@msn .com) is a freelance writer.