Portsmouth Police found themselves once again on the front lines of the ongoing mental health crisis, responding to multiple calls where quick action may have prevented tragedy.
Threats of Violence
Police say a counselor from a local facility contacted them after receiving a disturbing voicemail from a man who said he was having a friend bring him guns so he could start shooting up an apartment building because no one would rent to him.
Minutes later, the counselor called back to say the man had arrived at their location. Staff planned to “pink slip” him — a legal order in Ohio that allows mental health professionals or police to require someone to undergo psychiatric evaluation if they’re believed to be a danger to themselves or others. Fearing he might become combative, they asked for police backup.
Multiple units responded. The man agreed to go to the hospital on one condition — that he could first stop by his apartment. An officer accompanied him there and then drove him to SOMC for treatment.
Helping an Older Gentleman
Later, officers were called to check on an older man after his caretaker said he’d been drinking heavily and wished he were dead. Police found him intoxicated but coherent. He told them he had no plan to harm himself and declined offers of treatment.
On the Front Lines
Incidents like these highlight the role law enforcement now plays in responding to mental health emergencies. Officers are often the first ones called when someone is in crisis, and their ability to de-escalate situations can be the difference between tragedy and treatment.
Experts say anyone struggling with mental health or substance use should know help is available — and reaching out could save a life.
