San Diego (CBS8) - Anna Josefson has spent the past year coming to terms over the loss of her son Nathan, who was shot and killed by a San Diego Police officer, all the while trying to change policy within the department.
"He shouldn't have been shot," she says. "He should have been taken to a hospital."
On May 20th of 2010, Nathan Manning, who suffered from bi-polar disorder had a fight with his roommate outside their Normal Heights apartment near Adams Avenue and Hawley Boulevard. The responding officer attempted to calm Manning down, but he was in an apparent bi-polar tirade and couldn't be talked down, according to police.
Both the officer and Manning ended up in a wrestling match on the ground, when the officer fired one shot. Nathan Manning died at the scene.
Nathan's brother Noah questioned the actions of the police officer, saying last year that more needs to be done to protect those with a mental illness. In hindsight the family says the officer should have waited for back-up and used less lethal means to subdue Nathan.
Fast forward one year to the very spot Nathan Manning took his last breath and Friday night you would have heard singing and an impromptu jam session among friends.
His mother Anna Josefson and a group of more than forty gathered Friday night to celebrate Nate, a classically trained guitarist and his musical groove.
"He got me to think of music I think in spiritual means and we connected that way," said Anthony Cutietta, a former classmate of Nate's at SDSU.
Julie Drake is a close friend of Anna and Nate and says the year has been difficult, and is amazed at the strength Nate's mom has shown over the past 52 weeks.
"There's been a lot of crying, but when we talk about Nathan we try to celebrate and that's what he would have wanted," she says. "He loved to groove."
As for Anna Josefson, she is still calling for change in the way police respond to calls, having posed the question to the District Attorney's office, she says. "We asked them do you treat mental illness different than anything else, and they said no we treat everything the same. I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't, maybe we shouldn't because my son is dead today because of it."