Fatal Shooting of an Autistic Adolescent: What Should We Do?

Ryan Gainer, a 15-year-old African-American youth on the Autism-spectrum, was shot and killed by police officers in March 2024. The authors reflect on the tragedy of this incident and the harms that such police actions inflict on people living with disabilities and/or mental illnesses, as well as on their families, loved ones, and communities. Drawing on past research and similar incidents in recent years, the authors offer a series of systematic changes which may be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of police use of force on people on the autism spectrum.