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"A Weatherford couple is leaning on lawmakers.They say their mentally ill 18-year-old son was wrongfully killed by Custer County deputies. Now, they want laws changed, to force first responders to be trained to better handle such cases.The couple, and dozens of their family, friends, and supporters rallied at the state capitol Wednesday afternoon. They held and wore signs and t-shirts, demanding justice and change in Redbird Goodblanket's honor.The Goodblankets say deputies never talked to them before going in their home, eventually shooting their son last December. The family wants changes to protect all Oklahomans.\"They paratrooped into our home, and shot and killed our son,\" said Melissa Goodblanket.Redbird Goodblanket's family and friends hope this rally will inspire changes in Oklahoma.\"Not one time did they stop and try to question us about our son, his mental health,\" said Wibur Goodblanket, Redbird's father.The Goodblankets say had they been given a minute, they would've been able to explain that Redbird was having an episode.According to the Department of Mental Health, one in four Oklahomans have a mental health problem. Mental health facilities can't handle many cases.In Oklahoma City, police report mental health calls have jumped by 200 percent in recent years.\"These types of atrocities shouldn't happen regardless of race, or color, or religion,\" said Goodblanket.Not only do the Goodblankets want lawmakers to force emergency responders to go through training, they also want officers to have body cameras, to provide evidence of how cases are handled. It's a fight they know will be long, but they think it's worth it.\"So that those generations that aren't born yet, we can feel safe, that they're going to be OK when we're not around,\" said Melissa.OSBI investigated the Goodblanket case. It's now in the hands of the Custer County District Attorney. Those deputies involved were suspended, but are back at work.The Custer County Sheriff declined comment.Crime footer"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.koco.com/article/weatherford-couple-fighting-for-changes-after-son-s-death/4297945>