NYPD Retiree and Whistleblower: Mayor Adams Needs to Seriously Reconsider His Initiative on the Mentally Ill

On November 29, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a new initiative involving the involuntary hospitalization of mentally ill people in New York City. Several hours after the announcement, From The G-Man spoke with a New York City Police Department (NYPD) retiree who was the subject of a special 2018 report by the independent news site. The whistleblower, who served over 20 years with the department, was not happy about the mayor’s initiative and told From The G-Man that it will only lead to intense and possibly life-threatening confrontations for police officers and those deemed or suspected to be mentally ill.

The former NYPD delegate made the following request. “I seriously doubt that Mayor Adams or Commissioner Sewell read what I had to say about the situation, given the report was published back in 2018 and republished in 2021 for former Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea. I know it may seem like overkill, but could you please publish the report a final time? Doing so might allow Adams, Sewell and the public to see that the problem is much bigger than they realize and requires more than removing the mentally ill by force.”

From The G-Man has granted the retiree’s request.

From The News Vault

‘Some of These Doctors Are Going to Get People Killed’

Officer Claims Many Mentally Ill People Are Being
Released from Clinics and Hospitals Without Proper Evaluation

 

By Gary Glennell Toms

On February 26, From The G-Man spoke to an officer who has honorably served the New York City Police Department for over 20 years. The officer, who will be referred to as “Officer Goodman” to protect his identity, is deeply concerned about something he considers to be a major threat to New York City residents and fellow police officers. Goodman, who indicated he has gained the respect and support of many within his command because of his approach to policing, decided to come forward because he believes members of the medical and mental health community are not doing enough to address the issue.

The NYPD veteran cited two incidents to bolster his claims.

The first case occurred recently and involved a man who was taken into custody after threatening to attack and kill cashiers, the manager and patrons at a McDonald’s. When police officers arrived on the scene, the man was extremely belligerent and repeatedly yelled obscenities. “It was clear this guy was an emotionally disturbed person or what we call an EDP,” said Goodman. “He was completely out of control. He just kept cursing and saying he was going to kill anyone that came near him, including police officers.”

The officers were able to subdue and handcuff the man without incident. EMS personnel arrived and placed him on a stretcher, but he had to be restrained after a series of violent outbursts. Officer Goodman and his partner followed the ambulance to Kings County Hospital. While wheeling the stretcher into the facility, the man became enraged and attempted to spit on the EMS workers and police officers. The EMS workers attempted to restrain him, and Goodman asked a member of the hospital’s medical team for a mask to prevent the man from spitting. What happened several minutes later completely stunned the officers. “She came back and handed masks to the officers! We were stunned. When I asked why she didn’t bring a mask for the man in custody, she just looked at me. I was livid, but I didn’t say anything,” said Goodman.

The officer went on to note that when the doctors removed the man’s shoes, he noticed something that he says shook him to his core. “He was wearing socks with the grips on the bottom. They looked brand new, and I realized they were the socks patients receive after being admitted to a hospital or mental health facility,” stated Goodman. “I’ve dealt with EDPs many times during the course of my career, and the fact that he was wearing socks like that is an indication that he may have been hospitalized and released soon after.” Officer Goodman shared his assessment with the doctors on scene and claims they did not seem overly concerned. “I was frustrated. I couldn’t hold back any longer and told them they needed to investigate the situation,” the officer said. “I’ve seen this too many times, and some of these doctors are going to get people killed! Too many doctors are allowing these people to fall through the cracks. They aren’t properly evaluating these cases and simply releasing people with serious mental issues. This is how people end up pushed in front of subway trains.”

Officer Goodman presented a second case, which took place in 2017, that was even more disturbing. He responded to a call of a woman who was walking back and forth on the subway tracks. She fearlessly walked between the local and express track. “It was a really, really scary situation. When I confronted her, she was holding a metal spike. She must have taken it from an area where the MTA was doing construction,” Goodman stated. “When I said, ‘I need you to drop the spike, Miss’, she looked at her hand as if she had no idea where the spike came from. Then, she said she was hearing voices, repeatedly, and was trying to walk to 125th Street in Harlem.”

Officer Goodman and his partner escorted the ambulance to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. The officers explained the severity of the situation, but Goodman claims the response was far worse than the one noted in the aforementioned case. “We were standing close enough to hear one doctor say that he would keep the woman for a few hours… and release her! My partner and I immediately looked at each other in disbelief. Neither of us could believe what we just heard,” said the NYPD veteran. “At that point, I gave the doctor a look as if to say, ‘Are you fuckin’ kidding me!? This is bullshit!’” Goodman exited, again, filled with frustration.

The officer concluded by noting something must be done to address the problem, effective immediately. “The more this happens, the more likely it is that members of the general public are going to be harmed or killed. The more this happens, the more likely it is that EDPs will lose their lives during confrontations with police. Families will mourn, and police officers will continue to be vilified for using deadly force. It would really help if some in the medical and mental health community just did their damn job.”

Note: On January 11, 2018, the Huffington Post published the following news report: Video Shows Discharged Patient On Street In Only A Hospital Gown