Bath police on Tuesday morning subdued a local man who threatened others and himself with a knife during a mental health crisis, according to police.
Police Chief Andrew Booth said the man called police around 7:30 a.m. and said he was homicidal, suicidal and had a knife. Cpl. Ryan Kaake and Officer Brett McIntire were dispatched to Richardson Street, where they found the man in a driveway pacing around and “visually agitated,” saying he was “full of rage” and challenging the officers to fight, according to Booth.
“The officers attempted to de-escalate the situation using verbal commands with no result,” Booth said. “The man continued to threaten and posture with the knife towards officers, creating an increasing level of risk towards the officers and the public.”
Booth said the officers fired their stun guns several times, causing the man to drop his knife. Kaake knocked the man to the ground and Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Aaron Skolfield helped handcuff him, Booth said.
The man is in his 40s and has had previous dealings with police, according to Booth, who withheld his name. The man was taken into protective custody and transported to Mid Coast Hospital for mental health and drug use treatment. He is not facing any charges; Booth said the encounter was treated as a mental health call.
“I’m very proud of our officers,” Booth said. “Situations like these can become deadly, fast. The officers showed remarkable restraint in this potential ‘suicide-by-cop’ situation. … I commend the officers’ performance in their duties to safely take this person into protective custody without anyone getting hurt.”
“We hope the man gets the treatment he needs,” he said. “Incidents like these highlight the continued need for mental health and substance abuse treatment resources in our community as well as show how important it is for law enforcement officers to receive the training and equipment they need in order to effectively and safely deal with people in crisis.”
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