OLYMPIA – By a 48-0 vote, the state Senate passed an amended version of Sheena and Chris Henderson’s Law, HB 1448. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane), addresses how police interact with suicidal individuals and provides additional tools to report potentially dangerous individuals to mental health professionals.
[pullquote]This is a small step forward, but a good one, which honors Sheena and her family.
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“This is a small step forward, but a good one, which honors Sheena and her family. There’s more to be done to make sure our families are safe when a loved one is suffering from a mental health crisis, but I’m glad that some good can come from this awful tragedy,” said Riccelli.
Chris Henderson shot and killed his wife, Sheena, and then took his own life after a series of mental health crises. Despite being seen by police multiple times, he did not meet the criteria used to determine if he should be involuntarily detained.
The House and Senate will now negotiate on the amended version to reconcile the bill into a final version to send to the governor.
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