Stand-off triggers call for better mental health services

By: Annette Newell | NBC17.com
Published: February 08, 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. --

A deadly stand-off Monday left an officer wounded and disrupted a Raleigh neighborhood for hours.

And it also brought attention to mental health issues after a man shot himself during a show-down with police.

In this case, the man lost his job and his marriage -- two key risk factors for suicide.

Now, in light of that tragedy, there are calls for more mental health resources in the Triangle.

Dr. Michael Teague, a retired Raleigh Police psychologist, said he has seen the problem grow in the Raleigh area since the 1970s, but resources are shrinking.

The closure of the Dorothea Dix hospital mental hospital and budget cuts to the mental health services make the challenge tougher.

North Carolina averages about three suicides a day, and about 975 each year.

When police get involved, it becomes even more unpredictable, and can affect the whole community. The doctor of the man who died called 911 to alert police.

"He talked about wanting to strap a bomb to himself and go to the city center and take them out. He said he wanted to **** people over, including himself. I am frightened," said the caller.

Teague, the retired Raleigh Police psychologist, knows those situations can be dangerous.

"The man who makes the suicide threat, he pretty much controls a lot of it and in this case in the end he killed himself, so it's just a very dangerous situation," Teague said.

There are resources if someone you know needs help. They include: