How Clay County law enforcement handle mentally ill
It's a scenario law enforcement officers face often - one they are trained to handle.
CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – That hostage situation at a Walgreens store in Grenada ended with the suspect being shot and killed by law enforcement. Family members told local police they believe 39-year-old Bradley Hatcher suffered a mental breakdown.
It’s a scenario law enforcement officers face often – one they are trained to handle.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott and his deputies have seen many cases of mentally ill people come in and out of jail and the court system.
Scott said his deputies’ encounters with someone having a mental health crisis can quickly turn dangerous – if his team has no prior knowledge of the problems.
“Unless they know this individual and know they have mental problems when they approach somebody they have no knowledge,” Scott said.
During a criminal incident involving a mentally ill person, Scott says deputies try to de-escalate the situation and reason with the person. But in most cases, they still have to make an arrest.
If that person isn’t bonded out, the sheriff’s office steps in to get the proper assistance.
“We have community counseling which we have a contract with so once we identify some type of a mental illness going on our jail nurse immediately notifies community counseling and they send somebody to do an evaluation on them,” Scott said.
The sheriff said he’s seen some people get back out and get back on the right track while others continue to circle through the system..
He encourages families to try and keep their loved ones on the right path.
“Once these individuals have identified with mental illness and they’re prescribed medication and stuff you know to help them with this, you can’t go back out here and start smoking drugs, and drinking beer, and not taking your medicine,” Scott said.
The sheriff encourages families that have a loved one with mental illness. If they haven’t already get them evaluated and help your loved one each day stay on the right track
