Officer Claims Many Mentally Ill People Are Being Released
from Clinics and Hospitals Without Proper Evaluation
A 'From The G-Man' Exclusive
By Gary Glennell Toms
On
February 26, From The G-Man spoke to an officer who has honorably
served the New York City Police Department for over 20 years. The
officer, who will be referred to as "Officer Goodman" to protect his
identity, is deeply concerned about something he considers to be a major
threat to New York City residents and fellow police officers. Goodman,
who indicated he has gained the respect and support of many within his
command because of his approach to policing, decided to come forward
because he believes members of the medical and mental health community
are not doing enough to address the issue.
The NYPD veteran cited two incidents to bolster his claims.
The
first case occurred recently and involved a man who was taken into
custody after threatening to attack and kill cashiers, the manager and
patrons at a McDonald's. When police officers arrived on the scene, the
man was extremely belligerent and repeatedly yelled obscenities. "It was
clear this guy was an emotionally disturbed person or what we call an
EDP," said Goodman. "He was completely out of control. He just kept
cursing and saying he was going to kill anyone that came near him,
including police officers."
The
officers were able to subdue and handcuff the man without incident. EMS
personnel arrived and placed him on a stretcher, but he had to be
restrained after a series of violent outbursts. Officer Goodman and his
partner followed the ambulance to Kings County Hospital. While wheeling
the stretcher into the facility, the man became enraged and attempted to
spit on the EMS workers and police officers. The EMS workers attempted
to restrain him, and Goodman asked a member of the hospital's medical
team for a mask to prevent the man from spitting. What happened several
minutes later completely stunned the officers. "She came back and handed
masks to the officers! We were stunned. When I asked why she didn't
bring a mask for the man in custody, she just looked at me. I was livid,
but I didn't say anything," said Goodman.
The
officer went on to note that when the doctors removed the man's shoes,
he noticed something that he says shook him to his core. "He was wearing
socks with the grips on the bottom. They looked brand new, and I
realized they were the socks patients receive after being admitted to a
hospital or mental health facility," stated Goodman. "I've dealt with
EDPs many times during the course of my career, and the fact that he was
wearing socks like that is an indication that he may have been hospitalized and released soon after." Officer Goodman shared his assessment with
the doctors on scene and claims they did not seem overly concerned. "I
was frustrated. I couldn't hold back any longer and told them they
needed to investigate the situation," the officer said. "I've seen this
too many times, and some of these doctors are going to get people
killed! Too many doctors are allowing these people to fall through the
cracks. They aren't properly evaluating these cases and simply releasing
people with serious mental issues. This is how people end up pushed in
front of subway trains."
Officer
Goodman presented a second case, which took place in 2017, that was
even more disturbing. He responded to a call of a woman who was walking
back and forth on the subway tracks. She fearlessly walked between the
local and express track. "It was a really, really scary situation. When I
confronted her, she was holding a metal spike. She must have taken it
from an area where the MTA was doing construction," Goodman stated.
"When I said, 'I need you to drop the spike, Miss', she looked at her
hand as if she had no idea where the spike came from. Then, she said she
was hearing voices, repeatedly, and was trying to walk to 125th Street
in Harlem."
Officer
Goodman and his partner escorted the ambulance to Brooklyn Methodist
Hospital. The officers explained the severity of the situation, but
Goodman claims the response was far worse than the one noted in the
aforementioned case. "We were standing close enough to hear one doctor
say that he would keep the woman for a few hours... and release her! My
partner and I immediately looked at each other in disbelief. Neither of
us could believe what we just heard," said the NYPD veteran. "At that
point, I gave the doctor a look as if to say, 'Are you fuckin' kidding
me!? This is bullshit!'" Goodman exited, again, filled with frustration.
The
officer concluded by noting something must be done to address the
problem, effective immediately. "The more this happens, the more likely
it is that members of the general public are going to be harmed or
killed. The more this happens, the more likely it is that EDPs will lose
their lives during confrontations with police. Families will mourn, and
police officers will continue to be vilified for using deadly force. It
would really help if some in the medical and mental health community
just did their damn job."
