On 11/08/2011 I responded as the duty supervisor to a consumer who had overdosed on xanax and alcohol. When the first officers arrived on the scene, the consumer began yelling at them, climbed a ladder onto the roof of his home and was brandishing a 12" butcher's knife. The consumer also began throwing beer bottles at the officers. As I was responding, I obtained the cell phone number of the consumer, I called his name and talked to him about what was going on. He was very lethargic and obviously under the influence. He stated to me that his ex-girlfriend had taken his child from him and that he had no reason to live any longer. I talked to him as I arrived on the scene and stayed on the phone with him as I stood in his front yard. I continued to talk to consumer using CIT de-escalation skills. I was able to get consumer to drop the knife and to slide down to the edge of the roof where an officer was waiting to assist him down from the roof. He was transported to CMC-Union for treatment for the overdose and evaluated by mobile crisis.

Lieutenant Jeffery M. Outen