‘We are again calling upon Columbus city officials to build an alternative response system that meets the community’s needs and avoids further tragic, Helen Anne Sweeney and Jan Hauenstein
Helen Anne Sweeney and Jan Hauenstein
Guest Columnists
Helen Anne Sweeney and Jan Hauenstein are members of the B.R.E.A.D. Stop Violence! Build Trust! committee.
After Michael Frierson became agitated and aggressive on Oct. 4, his sister called 911 to help the 36-year-old diagnosed with schizophrenia experiencing a mental health crisis.
A social worker was busy with another call and could not respond to the request. Even though 911 tagged the call as a mental health incident, police officers responding to the call decided that the incident was a domestic violence dispute.
The officers, who were trained to handle mental health issues, also decided that the incident did not warrant a social worker’s assistance.
The incident ended tragically with Frierson being shot and critically wounded at his mother apartment in the 1600 block of Sullivant Avenue.