By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — A 57-year-old mentally ill Detroit man lunged into the path of a moving vehicle at 3:45 a.m. Feb. 19, at Biddle and Ford avenues, prompting the vehicle occupants to call for help when he subsequently threatened them.
Deputy Police Chief Archie Hamilton said the man expressed his homicidal ideation to the people in the vehicle, alerting them to the potential danger.
The responding police officers quickly determined the man’s need for psychological treatment when, in the presence of the police officers, he exhibited menacing behavior and expressed a desire to commit murder.
“The officers did an amazing job of de-escalating the situation by showing empathy,” Hamilton said. “As a result, the man was controlled without the use of force.”
He said the man was transported to a mental health facility instead of jail.
“The actions by these officers not only ensured public safety for the short term, but by identifying the underlying issue, it increased the likelihood that this man will not pose a threat in the future.”