I think you’re underestimating the threat of someone swinging an axe around in your house…
Dude committed an actual crime. There might be a need for a psychiatric evaluation, but given how soft-peddled this kind of domestic abuse generally is in our society (and how often it ends up with the woman dead in these cases of violence and how it’s ignored because the man was deemed mentally ill or provoked by a woman) dude needs to go through the court system. It’s well past time we take this kind of shit seriously.
Or it’s used as a way of not taking domestic violence seriously?
I can’t comment about others’ views but the Madison PD incident reports include plenty of cases of people arrested for domestic disturbances/assaults and the mental health stuff is more this kind of thing:
WEST: Check Person – 6:49 a.m. Officers responded to check the welfare of a subject (20-year-old AAM) who was sitting in the doorway of a business on Maple Valley Drive. The subject is autistic, has epilepsy and left his home without telling anyone. The subject was conveyed to a local hospital for an evaluation. The subject’s mother subsequently called dispatch to report him missing, after he was at the hospital. The subject was returned home. The subject’s social worker was notified. No further action deemed necessary by the police.
NORTH: Mental Health Conveyance – 1:36 p.m. Officers responded to Hayes Rd for a report of a suicidal subject (37-year-old WF). The subject was taken into protective custody and conveyed to a local hospital for an evaluation. Journey Mental Health plugged in. Emergency detention being sought. Investigation continuing.
SOUTH: Check Welfare – 3:22 p.m. Officers responded to check the welfare of a subject (17-year-old AAM) on Greenway Cross after family members reported a disturbance that occurred at their residence. The subject left the residence with a knife and made threats towards himself with it. The subject was located and he agreed to voluntarily go to a local hospital for an evaluation. Investigation continuing.
This case is different then, and includes an act of violence against a woman… the “mental health” excuse is bullshit in this case.
I’m glad they are taking the mental health of their community members seriously as well they should, but how about every time a man (generally speaking a white man) doesn’t something that could put others in danger or DOES put others in danger or leads to their death, we don’t trot out the mental illness excuse. It only serves to stigmatize the mentally ill more generally (such in the cases you point out) and it dismisses the very real concerns of women (and men) suffering under an abusive partner.
I want to highlight this, because it doesn’t just dismiss the concerns. If the abused partner leaves or defends themselves, they’re often villanised for not doing enough to help and understand the poor sick person who might hurt or kill them.
Agreed, that’s why I pointed out that the police there do seem to take mental health issues into account where they consider it appropriate - and they did not think it was here.
