Advocates urge for mental health resources at Atlanta meeting [Video]

ATLANTA — Community advocates are urging Atlanta city officials to increase mental health resources, citing incidents like the 2022 shooting police killed a man at a Buckhead restaurant.

Loved ones said Nygil Cullins was dealing with mental health crisis when he was shot by Atlanta Police inside Fogo de Chão two years ago. Now, many are calling for the city to invest in more accessible treatment options and improved training for officers.

Advocates like Devin Barrington-Ward believe there is an urgent need for increased mental health resources. 

At Monday’s city council meeting, the public came forward calling for better support for those in mental distress.

“We saw what happened with the Nygil Cullins video, where this person was in a state of a mental health crisis, and the police were not equipped to deal with it,” Barrington-Ward …