MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — It’s a heartbreaking and complex crisis playing out in communities across Arizona: suicidal individuals dying in confrontations with police.

Since July, six men across the Valley described as being suicidal have been shot by police. All but one of them died.

“A commonality is, of course, the presence of a weapon that is going to be the highest predictor of a deadly outcome and any law enforcement interactions,” said Jesse Trevino.

Trevino is a former police officer who now trains law enforcement nationwide in crisis response and de-escalation through his organization, SolutionPoint Plus.

Trevino said it’s unfair that police are often the default responders to mental health crises.

“Especially the more serious ones will never allow for any other response other

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