SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A tragic incident involving a mentally ill man has sparked questions about the adequacy of mental health care and the circumstances leading to his death. A 2News Investigation into the possible failure of the mental health system that has left a trail of victims and Chandler Grillone, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia dead.
Grillone was shot and killed by Salt Lake City Police Officer Clifton Payton in early January after Grillone came out of the darkness and attacked him when he got out of his patrol car.
Grillone told him he was conducting a “citizen’s audit” during a traffic stop involving a man who had pulled over and Officer Payton was trying to determine if his truck was on the road legally. Officer Payton had a female community member in his patrol car who was on a ride-along. Both the woman and the driver were in the middle of the deadly encounter.
Mom says son should have been in locked-down facility – not free to roam
Grillone’s mother, Rhonda expressed her heartbreak, stating that her son shied away from using illegal drugs. In fact, court records 2News Investigates obtained show he has never once been arrested for a drug-related offense in Utah. Those same records show he sometimes drank alcohol. She says despite numerous hospital visits and attempts at treatment over 15 years, a clear diagnosis remained elusive. More recently, mental health professionals diagnosed Chandler with schizophrenia, but a 2News Investigation asks was it being adequately treated and whether Utah’s mental health system is hurting those it is meant to help by giving some the least restrictive means…