A frightening report of violent threats at a local rehab facility prompted a police response Tuesday evening, but the situation ended with de-escalation and treatment support, not handcuffs.
Just after 7 p.m., officers with the Portsmouth Police Department were called to a Portsmouth rehabilitation center after a woman reported that her father was upset and threatening to stab people inside the facility.
Man Gone Before Officers Arrived
By the time officers reached the rehab, the man had already left the property. Police checked the surrounding area but were unable to locate him initially, and no criminal act had occurred at the facility.
Officers learned the man had been removed from the treatment center and was angry about being kicked out. Staff at the location told police they did not want charges filed—they simply wanted the man to leave the property.
Ride Instead of Arrest
Officers later made contact with the man. Rather than arresting him, Officer Morgan transported him to an address in Portsmouth to get him safely away from the situation.
Police also contacted the Quick Response Team (QRT)—a program designed to connect people in crisis with addiction treatment, mental health services, and support resources.
The man agreed to go with the QRT team, ending the incident without violence.
Why This Matters
Calls involving threats inside treatment facilities are taken seriously, but police say many of these situations fall into a gray area—volatile emotions, but no actual crime.
In this case, officers focused on:
- Removing the man from a tense environment
- Preventing escalation
- Connecting him with help
❓ The Bigger Question
When someone is clearly in crisis—but hasn’t crossed the legal line—is treatment the better response than arrest?
This call suggests that sometimes, the safest outcome isn’t jail—it’s getting the right people involved before things spiral out of control.