Back in 2019, Army veteran Slade Douglas called the VA crisis line as a means for help, but the California police ended up visiting his home for a welfare check that ironically wouldn’t end well for his welfare. Naturally, the officers were there to check up on Douglas, who told them that he was fine and they could leave. They did not, but instead handcuffed him and took him to a hospital under an involuntary psychiatric hold.
Needless to say, Douglas wasn’t going to let the police department get away with this alleged mistreatment, so he sued and ended up being awarded $6.6M. Recently, the city reportedly attempted to undo the verdict, according to Military.com, but the jury still held to its decision. The veteran deserved the massive payout, and the city wasn’t about to take it away from him.
The LAPD isn’t a stranger to controversies, so this lawsuit with veteran Slade Douglas is just another on the long list of troubled cases the department has been involved in over the decades. That said, this case raises the question of how far police can go with an involuntary psychiatric hold when a patient is reportedly dangerous to themselves or others. In other words, what are the boundaries?
Online Users Reacted Negatively to VA Crisis Line’s Response
As one Redditor put it bluntly, “They’re just ‘trust me, bro’ locked up in a hospital for an undetermined amount of time because their parent/guardian/? made a phone call and signed a document.” Others accuse the police of often making things up to handcuff someone. As for the lawsuits and payouts, another commenter adds, “And the taxpayers have to pay for that settlement. Should be paid from the police pension.”
If anything, Douglas’s story discourages other veterans from using the VA crisis line, as they could feel like there’s a chance of police showing up at their doorstep, waiting to take them in without consent. Of course, this is hyperbole and doesn’t happen often; the report of the LAPD, plus the holding of a troubled veteran without probable cause, is nothing short of a disaster for both the VA and the police department’s reputations.
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After all, people want to be helped and receive support; that’s why they call crisis lines in the first place. The fear of police coming to their home can be less than reassuring.
