What started as a tense school pickup turned into a full-blown crisis with police caught in the middle of a family meltdown.
Around 2:45 p.m., a worried mom called Portsmouth Police to accompany her while retrieving her troubled teen from school. Officers met with the pair, tensions appeared to cool, and everyone went home.
But peace didn’t last long.
By 4 p.m., the mom was calling 911 again — this time reporting the teen was “going crazy” and that the adults in the home couldn’t control her.
Police rushed back and detained the girl for everyone’s safety. But when officers asked the mother for a statement, she refused.
That placed the decision in the hands of Juvenile Court — who advised officers the teen could either stay with a family member or be transported out of town to a juvenile detention center.
Fortunately, the mom arranged a safe place for her daughter to stay, preventing another trauma-filled trip for a kid already in crisis.
Police cleared the scene once calm — at least for now — was restored.
