Adina Peyton GRAMI Initiative Makes Strides: Three years ago in Huntsville, police officers fired 16 shots at Bradley Pugh during a manic episode. His mother, Adina Peyton, continues to advocate for transparency and crisis intervention training for first responders. This tragic event transformed Peyton’s life, inspiring her to create the non-profit GRAMI, which stands for Getting Real About Mental Illness. The goal is to destigmatize mental illness by funding private mental health appointments for first responders and providing crisis intervention training.
Peyton’s vision for GRAMI emerged from her realization of the daily trauma faced by first responders. Although she couldn’t address mental illness for the entire community, she saw an opportunity to make a difference for a specific group of people. The non-profit supported two law enforcement officers in attending Crisis Intervention Training in Detroit, funding their certification to train other officers.
The standoff in November 2020 lasted three hours, and an incident review board ultimately deemed the shooting justified. Peyton persistently called for transparency, seeking to view the body cam footage, but she was only provided with a snippet. She empathizes with another family, that of Steve Perkins, who was shot by Decatur Police in late September, and they too have not seen the footage.
Peyton encourages families in similar situations to stay hopeful and engage in the process, emphasizing the need for legislative changes beyond the local level. Reflecting on her experiences, she understands the challenges these families face.
As for GRAMI’s efforts, Peyton is confident that the training provided will contribute to saving lives. She expresses gratitude for the encouragement and requirement of crisis intervention training, supporting the positive changes she observes in the city’s police force.
A celebration of life event for Bradley Pugh is scheduled across the street from the barbecue restaurant this morning at 10:10 a.m. at 201 Dement Street.
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