Michelle Cusseaux, 50
Phoenix, Arizona
August 14, 1999
Agencies: Phoenix Police Department Arizona
Last updated: 5 months ago
Overview 
Michelle Cusseaux, 50, was shot at her apartment after she threatened a police officer and three other officers with a hammer, authorities said. The officers said they were serving a court order to transport the woman to an in-patient mental-health facility at the request of her mother when the woman met them at the door with a hammer.
At the time of her death, Cusseaux suffered from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. On August 14, 2014, Cusseaux grew agitated when a cab didn’t show up to take her to the hospital; just a week earlier, she’d filed a grievance on previous transportation failures. Cusseaux called a Southwest Network health facility, and Office Manager Jamey Helms found her comments to be threatening. Helms called the police to make what is formally known as a mental health petition.
Critics, while acknowledging that police face danger in many forms during the course of a day's work, and a hammer can be a deadly weapon. point out that the four officers involved knew they were dealing with a seriously mentally ill woman and should have been ready with non-lethal means of controlling her.
Community and Family Efforts
May 2015 #SayHerName vigil NYC
February 2016 Petition
Additional Resources:
- http://www.cbs5az.com/story/28852387/phoenix-pds-mental-health-squad-looks-to-reduce-violent-encounters?autostart=true added Jun 27, 2016
- http://www.womeninandbeyond.org/?p=19119 added Aug 10, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/asoftratchet/posts/264638800409467 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/TheBruceStJamesAndPamelaHughesShow/posts/852563864761390 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/ContactReverendMaupin/posts/1058254640877030 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/vday/photos/a.432632998701.207263.12690173701/10153437696783702/?type=3 added Mar 09, 2016
- http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/editorial/2014/08/18/michelle-cusseaux-mental-illness/14266383/ added Mar 09, 2016
- http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/08/16/phoenix-shooting-family-questions-police-force-abrk/14176405/ added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/geoff.woods.148/posts/10204842926344638 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/thesandersfirmpc/photos/a.223021074433752.51097.143206829081844/827930963942757/?type=3 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/vday/videos/10153556649943702/ added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/FOX10Phoenix/posts/905598819488666 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/ABC15/photos/a.151332821358.116295.18356341358/10153238303436359/?type=3 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/FOX10Phoenix/posts/715371461844737 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/azcentral/posts/10153262787644032 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/rememberingMichelleCusseaux/posts/1117299751627571 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/12news/photos/a.62388959014.69061.32616834014/10152691377759015/?type=3 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/Womankind/photos/a.166829696672869.32435.164362913586214/932654923423672/?type=3 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/FOX10Phoenix/posts/803051399743409 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/FOX10Phoenix/posts/923342307714317 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/democracynow/posts/10153265318678279 added Mar 09, 2016
- https://www.facebook.com/max.dashu/posts/10156406437325372 added Mar 09, 2016
- http://justice.gawker.com/what-michelle-cusseauxs-death-says-about-arizonas-menta-1702614985 added Mar 08, 2016
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