Mentally Ill Homeless Man Arrested For 67th Time – Can No One Help?

Officers arrested a 36-year-old homeless man who, unfortunately, serves as the poster child for our area’s homeless crisis for the 67th time after a report of a man staggering around at 9th and Gay just before 8 pm. However, he wasn’t the only troubled individual in the midst of a mental health crisis, and Portsmouth Police find themselves powerless to help. At 11:30 am, a Coles Blvd caller reported a man going through trash cans, yelling, and stumbling down the street. They said the man appeared to be high. Officers caught up with a man with at least 32 arrests to his name but determined he wasn’t intoxicated, just behaving as he usually does. Police let him go. The man has had 31 previous arrests on charges including probation violation, burglary, obstructing official business, and domestic violence. At 4:30 pm, a worried friend contacted PPD about the mental state of a good friend who was staying a a homeless shelter. He told officers the friend was acting very strangely and he was worried. When officers headed to the homeless shelter to speak to the man, he said that he did not want to go to the hospital, and he had no plans to harm himself or others. Police did not have the authority to force the man to seek treatment and suggested that the friend speak with the man’s family about getting power of attorney. At 7:53 pm, officers got a report of a man staggering down the street at 9th and Gay and detained Timothy Walker for disorderly conduct. This was Walker’s 67th arrest. The man, who suffers from both mental illness and substance abuse issues, is well known in the area for screaming, stripping off his clothes, and running into traffic. Back in 2021, the extremely troubled homeless man was arrested for public indecency, intoxication, and disorderly conduct. He was rushed to the hospital after being found injured on the levy and overdosing on the sidewalk in front of the homeless shelter just a few minutes later. Police arrested Walker 10 times in 2022 and at one point he was sent away for treatment and managed to avoid arrest for almost a year. However, it appears he was released back onto the streets, as his August 2023 court appearance lists him as homeless. Police have responded to multiple calls about his behavior in recent days, but this is the first time they arrested him. Walker is currently housed in the Scioto County Jail. Portsmouth lacks long-term inpatient mental health facilities and unfortunately, the jail seems to serve as the clearing house for those in crisis.

Related Content

Woman Claims Amnesia & Kidnapping

Deputies Investigate New Year’s Eve Brawls-CPS Gets Involved