WARREN, Mich. – Warren police officers rushed to 9 Mile Road just west of Van Dyke after they received an alarming phone call about a kid who held a gun to his own head during a mental health crisis.
The incident occurred Monday (July 17), and when officials arrived at the scene, they said they could see the kid with the gun.
The police body camera worn by Warren police showed the situation while also letting you hear everything the officer said to the 17-year-old boy holding the handgun, saying that he wanted to die.
Instead of focusing on the gun, the officer focused on the teen in crisis.
“Let me help you,” said Warren police officer Chad Rossow. “Can I help you? I am not here to hurt you. I started talking to him about his family and the people that would be directly affected by him committing this act.”
The teen said he was released too soon from a mental health care facility.
Officer Rossow and his partner, Officer Charles Cobble, told the teen they would get him the help he needed if he dropped the gun.
“Hold on, you are OK,” Rossow said.
The teen was relieved after he dropped the gun. He broke down in tears when the officers handcuffed him as someone finally listened to him.
“When he put that weapon down, I was so relieved,” Rossow said. “I probably wanted to cry like he did.”
“He was actually really a nice individual,” said Charles Cobble. “We put him into handcuffs, but he was just upset. He was going through a crisis, and we recognized that, and we acted appropriately.”
The teen was taken to a healthcare facility to get treatment. His father was there at the healthcare facility Monday (July 17) night, where he held on to him before thanking Rossow and Cobble.
If you need help, it’s just three numbers away. The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline is available 24 hours a day.
You can call or text that number, which is confidential and helps thousands of people daily.
