Mother praises Salt Lake City police response after autistic teen mistaken for assault suspect

SALT LAKE CITY — What began as a frightening encounter for a Salt Lake City mother and her autistic teenage son ended with appreciation for the officers who responded after a mistaken 911 call.

Cyndie Howard said she had pulled over with her 16-year-old son, Rhonan Howard, who was experiencing distress, when a passerby called police believing a woman was being assaulted by a male.

Cyndie Howard said she was trying to help her son calm down and stay in the vehicle when a large police response arrived.

"When I'm standing at a car wrestling a boy and trying to get him back in the car, and 20 officers are coming up ready to draw guns, you say to yourself, 'Oh, wow,'" Cyndie Howard said.

According to Salt Lake City police, officers quickly determined the situation was not a domestic violence incident, but rather an autistic teenager in crisis.

"When officers arrived, they realized that it was not the call that had come in," officer Greg Lovell said. "It was actually an autistic person in distress."

Police say the incident highlights the importance of specialized training designed to help officers respond to people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Department leaders said improving those interactions has been a focus in recent years.

"Over the years, as we've tried to improve our response, this is one of the things that we identified as a place that we could improve," said Lovell.

As part of those efforts, many officers carry sensory bags in their patrol vehicles. The bags contain items intended to help calm individuals experiencing sensory overload or emotional distress.

"Most of them will carry them in their cars in case they roll up on a situation such as this," said Lovell.

Officers at the scene used one of the sensory bags and worked to build a rapport with Rhonan, encouraging him through simple interactions and positive reinforcement.

"Rhonan, I need another high five, dude," one officer can be heard telling the teenager. "High five. That was awesome!"

Cyndie Howard said she was impressed by the patience and compassion officers showed throughout the encounter.

"It was pretty, pretty miraculous how they all came together and worked with him," she said.

She added that situations involving autistic individuals can change rapidly and often require quick judgment from those responding.

"You can't rehearse this," Cyndie Howard said. "It has to happen on the spot."

Police say encounters involving people on the autism spectrum can be unpredictable, making training, communication and de-escalation techniques critical for achieving safe outcomes for everyone involved.

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