Hartford - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is poised to sign a bill requiring police officers to take training courses on how to handle situations involving the mentally ill, part of several health reforms proposed after the Newtown school shooting.

Details will have to be worked out, but Malloy said the training will include the use of crisis intervention teams that are employed by nearly 2,700 police departments across the country, including many already in Connecticut. The teams involve pairing police with mental health experts to diffuse situations and avoid lethal force.

More than a half-dozen police-involved shootings have occurred in the state since January of last year. One was the case of Michael Dugas, a 52-year-old man who was killed with six shots by Norwich officers who fired a total of 41 rounds. He had refused demands to drop what turned out to be a pellet handgun and then pointed it at an officer.

"Obviously, there needs to be more training," said Dugas' sister, April Carfi. "You should take more than a few minutes before you decide to pull the trigger. ... He just wanted somebody to talk to. He just wanted someone to listen to him. The whole thing was just unfortunate."
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