In early 2020, Juston Root¡¯s condition was deteriorating.
Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a young adult, the 41-year-old wasn¡¯t taking his medicine, and those around him were concerned. His family felt that he should be civilly committed. His psychiatrist described him as ¡°actively psychotic with poor self care,¡± according to a Jan. 6, 2020 evaluation. ¡°He is not at acute risk and cannot be hospitalized against his will at this time but given his history we believe hospitalization is very likely.¡±
On a brisk, damp morning one month later, Root drove himself to Brigham and Women¡¯s Hospital, part of the Boston medical center complex that also houses the Massachusetts Mental Health Center ¡ª he was in need of help. A security guard was the first person to interact with Root and radioed in a description of him after a bizarre conversation, noting that Root had a transparent object that looked like a gun. The Boston police arrived, and fewer than 10 minutes later, Root was dead, shot at least 31 times by the officers. The plastic paintball gun Root carried was never fired.
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