

Judge convicts man who thought about shooting up store - ensignavenger
http://www.ky3.com/news/local/judge-convicts-man-who-had-thoughts-about-shooting-up-theater-store/-/21048998/24220610/-/9cb76cz/-/index.html

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ScottBurson
Hmm, well, he wasn't convicted for _just_ thinking about it -- he was
convicted for thinking about it and taking concrete steps toward doing it,
including buying guns. And I have to admit, based on this brief account,
putting him back out on the street doesn't sound like a good idea -- sounds
like he's more than a little likely to kill some people. But I don't know that
I can agree that he's actually committed a crime _yet_.

Seems like exactly the kind of case that involuntary commitment to a mental
institution should be available for.

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ensignavenger
I agree with you- he needs mental help, and locking him for several years and
then releasing him probably won't do anything to keep anyone safe. He needs
mental help, and if given the option of jail or a mental institution, I think
he would have taken the later. Further, while he did purchase guns, I still
can't agree that he committed assault, which is what he was convicted of.
(Which seems to be in agreeance with yourself, but I wanted to reiterate).

Note, I and my family shop at the store in question frequently. I am keenly
aware of the potential threat this was to my family, and I am glad his mother
reported it to try to get her son help- but I don't like the way it has turned
out.

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Bluestrike2
This is yet another story of why you should always do everything in your power
to avoid calling the police in order to "help" with a mental health incident
unless you're dealing with a situation where an imminent danger forces your
hand.

It's not a question of the police being good or bad. Every aspect of their
training is about getting the bad guy off the street; far too often the
effects of that training translate poorly towards actually _helping_ the
mentally ill in crisis. Some officers receive specialized training for
handling the mentally ill, but even though the training is becoming more
common, they're still a small minority of LE. But generally speaking, the same
stereotypes that lead the general public to errantly assume mental illness
means violent can affect how police officers respond. There are way too many
stories of officers allowing those mistaken assumptions to lead to sometimes
deadly confrontations.

The mental health system in this country is woefully flawed, as is how the
justice system handles the mentally ill. When the situation gets to what
starts to look like the tipping point, it's no wonder that so many people
think that the police are the best option for taking drastic measures to help
save a loved one.

Most emergency hospitalizations are for acute emergency incidents. They're not
permanent, and the person isn't incorrigible. Emergency treatment works to get
them through the initial crisis, stabilized, and in a position where they can
engage in their continued treatment by their own choice. In other cases,
involuntary commitment might be called for in the short-term.

When that's the only choice available, the door you entered the system through
can make all the difference in the world. Assuming commitment was justified in
this situation (a big assumption on my part, given lack of details), had the
request come from an emergency MH facility it's entirely possible that Blaec
Lammers would be receiving proper psychiatric treatment right now. Instead,
he's in the criminal justice system and the book is being thrown at him given
the charges (assault in the first is incredibly uncommon in a case like this).

The police aren't the only ones empowered to initiate civil commitment
proceedings. Regrettably, we don't know what could have happened had things
gone differently. Per the story, Lammer's mother is already blaming herself
for calling the police. In the future, stories such as this might keep others
in similar situations from helping their loved ones seek emergency treatment
out of the fear that, instead of being treated, they'll be incarcerated.

In a situation like that, from the mentally ill, to their families, to society
in general, nobody benefits.

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fallinghawks
It sounds like part of the conviction is for 1st degree assault, which seems
rather strange.

