Police and crazy people

[chanel]

A Sussex County woman has filed a lawsuit against two Andover Township police officers, claiming they forcibly subdued and arrested her while they were checking to see if she was safe.

The incident, as described by the lawsuit, began to unfold the evening of Nov. 14, 2008, as follows: Leenstra, who is acknowledged in the lawsuit as suffering from an unspecified mental illness, sent a text message to her therapist stating: "Do you think it’s a good day to die? I do."

Thinking Leenstra may be suicidal, the therapist then asked police, who had previously conducted mental health welfare checks on Leenstra at her home on Limecrest Road, to go to her home again for another check.

But Then and Kithcart returned to the Leenstras’ home and a confrontation ensued inside her bedroom. The return visit was required as part of the welfare check to take her for a mental health evaluation.

Leenstra was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly trying to kick the officers during the incident and with throwing bodily fluids at the officers for allegedly spitting at them when she was being taken to Newton Memorial Hospital. She was remanded to the county jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

After her arrest was publicized, she lost her job at the Oxford Township Middle School in Warren County, where she worked with special-needs students, said Patti.

N.J. woman accuses 2 police officers of forcible arrest during safety check | NJ.com

Interesting case. If Leenstra had killed herself, would the cops be responsible as well?

Cops have a really tough job.

 

[Granny]

Sounds like a good case for a dismissal.

 

[California Girl]

Someone with mental health issues and suicidal tendencies was working with special needs kids? Am I alone in seeing that as a problem?

 

[fyrenza]

Is this something like Racial Profiling,

where,

if the cops have reason to suspect a person of ANY color,

(i.e.: a Black dude robbed me; a Mexican is crossing our border; it was a white guy, in a ski mask)

the cops ARE NOT ALLOWED to actually investigate persons of that bent?

'Cuz THAT would be "profiling?"

Please.

 

[chanel]

CG - teachers aides are generally paid less than 300 a week here in NJ. You get what you pay for.

Suing the police seems to be quite lucrative these days. I wonder how many cases are just "settled for an undisclosed amount".

 

[strollingbones]

this is a small place as i have mentioned before

the last police officier killed here was glenn hicks..he lived up the road from me....about a 1/2 mile or so

Lieutenant Glenn Harold Hicks | Avery County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina

mr coffey lost an eye....

 

[California Girl]

CG - teachers aides are generally paid less than 300 a week here in NJ. You get what you pay for.

Suing the police seems to be quite lucrative these days. I wonder how many cases are just "settled for an undisclosed amount".

Yea, it just kind of seems to me that people with mental health issues are possibly not the best people to be helping impressionable and challenged young people... whatever the cost issues.

As for the suing the police - it does appear to be kind of 'easy money' these days. I worry about our attitude towards this kind of thing. Seriously.

 

[strollingbones]

the shooter was found incompetent....mental illness

a friend of mine is serving a life w/o parole for murder....she is fine on meds...off meds...she beats one of her friends to death with a frying pan...

55-year-old Gloria Hughes Estes of Avery County has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Samuel Joe Roberson (age 59 at the time of his death) also of Avery County. Estes was charged and arrested in June 2005 near the town of Newland for Roberson's murder, who was found dead from a severe head trauma. Opening statements began Thursday January 10th and Prosecution lasted until late the next morning. The trial occurred in Mitchell County after Estes' Defense Attorney, Gary Triggs, sought out a change of venue last year. Although Estes did not confess to the 2005 murder of Samuel Roberson, the jury heard testimony from State Bureau of Investigation representatives as well as statements from Estes' fellow inmates


WKYK 940 AM - #1 Country Music

 

[fyrenza]

We aren;t allowed to think of how it COULD be for the person that finally lost control;

we're only allowed to see the END of any situation.

But, hey!

If folks could KILL other peeps, when they went off their meds?

You know what?

I don't especially want them living Next Door to me,

or ANY of "mine."

If meds are the ONLY way to prevent a catastrophe of this sort?

DO 'em,

or die

like the rabid dog that you've turned out to be.

I'm sorry 'bout that!

SirJamesOfTexas

 

[strollingbones]

ahhh but that is the problem with crazy people...they wont take their meds...one cannot be forced to take meds outside a facility setting....in her day she was not only beautiful but brilliant....she stabbed her husband 3 times before he cut her loose...not 3x at once but 3 separate times..i was one of the few people she liked and never turned on...but i have seen her get wickly scarey with other people...the guy she kills.....i know this sounds fake but it is true...one of the nicest men you would ever know...he was letting her stay at his place ..cause she was homeless

 

[fyrenza]

ahhh but that is the problem with crazy people...they wont take their meds...one cannot be forced to take meds outside a facility setting....in her day she was not only beautiful but brilliant....she stabbed her husband 3 times before he cut her loose...not 3x at once but 3 separate times..i was one of the few people she liked and never turned on...but i have seen her get wickly scarey with other people...the guy she kills.....i know this sounds fake but it is true...one of the nicest men you would ever know...he was letting her stay at his place ..cause she was homeless

HOW does that happen?

You're SICK, and HERE is the remedy.

Now, YOU have the CHOICE???

We're protecting innocents, yes,

but we're condemning others to a fate we couldn't even imagine?

How does that work?

If you NEED meds to keep you from killing US?

You'd BEST take 'em, pal...

Come to MY door, looking and being all out-of-your-mind?

You're going DOWN.

And I use SILENT "arms."

Hand-held cross bows will get you SO much further than guns EVER could...

Just sayin'...

 

[strollingbones]

as i said...off the meds...she was a total loon...now get this....her talent....she was known for being able to give a cop a blow job from her car....it would appear the cop was talking to her.....he would still be standing outside the door....her nick...glo ball

 

[strollingbones]

crazies do bring a lot of color into one's life

 

[fyrenza]

Although they can make it Not Boring, Stroll?

They don't bring a lot to the table, eh?

Just a TOUCH is more than enough for me...

 

[MikeK]

as i said...off the meds...she was a total loon...now get this....her talent....she was known for being able to give a cop a blow job from her car....it would appear the cop was talking to her.....he would still be standing outside the door....her nick...glo ball

Are you talking about very tall cops or a short car?

 

[Sallow]

From the way back machine:

I was dating a girl who's brother in law was a cop. Nice quiet guy. His last day on the job and he has to bust a drug dealer. Well, him and his partner get on the elevator going to the guy's apartment..and guess who follows them in..the dealer. His partner looks at him..and whispers, "Lets take him" and jumps the guy. Well the guy fought back..and bit my gf's brother-in-law's hand. Turns out that not only is he a drug dealer..but he had AIDS. For 6 months after his retirement my gf's brother-in-law was getting tested.

Yeah..tough freakin job.

 

[George Costanza]

The marriage between the criminal justice system and the mental health system has been a rocky one from the start and it isn't getting any better. The criminal justice system simply does not know what to do with the mentally ill when they commit crimes as a result of their mental illness. All the CJS wants to do is toss them in prison.

About six months ago, I had a similar case to the one mentioned in the OP. My guy was crazy. He attacked a female parole officer in a mental hospital waiting room and tried to disarm her. They charged him with all kinds of serious felonies and wanted to see if he would be willing to accept 8 years in prison as a plea bargain.

He knows the difference between right and wrong. He is also insane. He belongs in a mental hospital. Guess where he is going to end up.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

A Sussex County woman has filed a lawsuit against two Andover Township police officers, claiming they forcibly subdued and arrested her while they were checking to see if she was safe.

The incident, as described by the lawsuit, began to unfold the evening of Nov. 14, 2008, as follows: Leenstra, who is acknowledged in the lawsuit as suffering from an unspecified mental illness, sent a text message to her therapist stating: "Do you think it’s a good day to die? I do."

Thinking Leenstra may be suicidal, the therapist then asked police, who had previously conducted mental health welfare checks on Leenstra at her home on Limecrest Road, to go to her home again for another check.

But Then and Kithcart returned to the Leenstras’ home and a confrontation ensued inside her bedroom. The return visit was required as part of the welfare check to take her for a mental health evaluation.

Leenstra was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly trying to kick the officers during the incident and with throwing bodily fluids at the officers for allegedly spitting at them when she was being taken to Newton Memorial Hospital. She was remanded to the county jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

After her arrest was publicized, she lost her job at the Oxford Township Middle School in Warren County, where she worked with special-needs students, said Patti.

N.J. woman accuses 2 police officers of forcible arrest during safety check | NJ.com

Interesting case. If Leenstra had killed herself, would the cops be responsible as well?

Cops have a really tough job.

Why should they even get involved? Unless she is a danger to others, not just herself, there is no need for the police to even ask questions.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The marriage between the criminal justice system and the mental health system has been a rocky one from the start and it isn't getting any better. The criminal justice system simply does not know what to do with the mentally ill when they commit crimes as a result of their mental illness. All the CJS wants to do is toss them in prison.

About six months ago, I had a similar case to the one mentioned in the OP. My guy was crazy. He attacked a female parole officer in a mental hospital waiting room and tried to disarm her. They charged him with all kinds of serious felonies and wanted to see if he would be willing to accept 8 years in prison as a plea bargain.

He knows the difference between right and wrong. He is also insane. He belongs in a mental hospital. Guess where he is going to end up.

That doesn't make prison any safer for the people who just want to do their time.

 

[chanel]

A Sussex County woman has filed a lawsuit against two Andover Township police officers, claiming they forcibly subdued and arrested her while they were checking to see if she was safe.

The incident, as described by the lawsuit, began to unfold the evening of Nov. 14, 2008, as follows: Leenstra, who is acknowledged in the lawsuit as suffering from an unspecified mental illness, sent a text message to her therapist stating: "Do you think it’s a good day to die? I do."

Thinking Leenstra may be suicidal, the therapist then asked police, who had previously conducted mental health welfare checks on Leenstra at her home on Limecrest Road, to go to her home again for another check.

But Then and Kithcart returned to the Leenstras’ home and a confrontation ensued inside her bedroom. The return visit was required as part of the welfare check to take her for a mental health evaluation.

Leenstra was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly trying to kick the officers during the incident and with throwing bodily fluids at the officers for allegedly spitting at them when she was being taken to Newton Memorial Hospital. She was remanded to the county jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

After her arrest was publicized, she lost her job at the Oxford Township Middle School in Warren County, where she worked with special-needs students, said Patti.

N.J. woman accuses 2 police officers of forcible arrest during safety check | NJ.com

Interesting case. If Leenstra had killed herself, would the cops be responsible as well?

Cops have a really tough job.

Why should they even get involved? Unless she is a danger to others, not just herself, there is no need for the police to even ask questions.

One would think. But that's not the way it works. The checks are required. See in bold.

I can understand what George is saying about the prison system. However, the cops have a duty to protect the public and THEMSELVES when there is a threat. It matters not if the "devil made them do it". In fact, it would seem in many cases the loony with the knife would be far more dangerous than the thug with the knife.

I would imagine that many mentally ill people are already in treatment when they find themselves assaulting a police officer. This woman was. Guess what? Sometimes (often) treatment does not work.