...From the files of "Things that can only happen to brucestef":
...So my wife calls me at work today around noon to calmly tell me that a strange man is "in the rafters of our car port."
As I process this, I ask "Are you talking to him now, or are you in the house, maybe with the doors locked?"
She says "Oh yeah. I heard the dogs barking like crazy, then I heard a man's voice. I assumed it was some guys working in our neighbors yard, but couldn't see anyone from the window."
As you may know, my wife is a licensed therapist, whose last job was the VA where she worked with Vets of all ages treating service members with PTSD, brain trauma and military sexual trauma.
Apparent she walked out towards our large redwood framed carport, and sure enough, looked up to see a 30 something year old man laying on his stomach balanced atop a rafter.
She asked him how he was doing. He replied that he was afraid of our dogs, a weiner dog and Jack Russell mix, on the OTHER side of the fence. She told them that they were harmless. But he refused to come down, asking if he could stay in her car or come inside.
She calmly replied that she would place a glass of water on the front porch and invited him to sit on there while she went inside.
Obviously, I told her to keep the doors locked and not go outside again. I gave her the number of out local Mental Health Crisis Line and if they refused to come out, call Local PD, advise them that the man was unarmed, non-threatening, scared and possibly mentally ill. And asked she call me back ASAP.
Longer story short, Mental Health Crisis showed up in 5 minutes. Spoke with her at the front door. didn't even walk down to the car port, and then called Ukiah PD (not the nations finest).
Within 5 minutes, SIX, YES SIX, squad cars pulled up. The man was long gone. Cops asked to search the yard AND our house "to be sure the area is safe."
Cops said he fit the description of a local (meth) addict who was often paranoid and would hide in neighbors trees.
All of these "heroes" dispersed quickly without a single one, including Crisis Workers, leaving a business card or offering a follow up.
All very surreal and sad at the same time, but so very happy my wife is safe, even though she is better trained than the majority of people in our country when dealing with the mentally ill and addicts.
Our country is wayyyyyy out of touch with this population, and unfortunately, it won't improve any time soon.
...So my wife calls me at work today around noon to calmly tell me that a strange man is "in the rafters of our car port."
As I process this, I ask "Are you talking to him now, or are you in the house, maybe with the doors locked?"
She says "Oh yeah. I heard the dogs barking like crazy, then I heard a man's voice. I assumed it was some guys working in our neighbors yard, but couldn't see anyone from the window."
As you may know, my wife is a licensed therapist, whose last job was the VA where she worked with Vets of all ages treating service members with PTSD, brain trauma and military sexual trauma.
Apparent she walked out towards our large redwood framed carport, and sure enough, looked up to see a 30 something year old man laying on his stomach balanced atop a rafter.
She asked him how he was doing. He replied that he was afraid of our dogs, a weiner dog and Jack Russell mix, on the OTHER side of the fence. She told them that they were harmless. But he refused to come down, asking if he could stay in her car or come inside.
She calmly replied that she would place a glass of water on the front porch and invited him to sit on there while she went inside.
Obviously, I told her to keep the doors locked and not go outside again. I gave her the number of out local Mental Health Crisis Line and if they refused to come out, call Local PD, advise them that the man was unarmed, non-threatening, scared and possibly mentally ill. And asked she call me back ASAP.
Longer story short, Mental Health Crisis showed up in 5 minutes. Spoke with her at the front door. didn't even walk down to the car port, and then called Ukiah PD (not the nations finest).
Within 5 minutes, SIX, YES SIX, squad cars pulled up. The man was long gone. Cops asked to search the yard AND our house "to be sure the area is safe."
Cops said he fit the description of a local (meth) addict who was often paranoid and would hide in neighbors trees.
All of these "heroes" dispersed quickly without a single one, including Crisis Workers, leaving a business card or offering a follow up.
All very surreal and sad at the same time, but so very happy my wife is safe, even though she is better trained than the majority of people in our country when dealing with the mentally ill and addicts.
Our country is wayyyyyy out of touch with this population, and unfortunately, it won't improve any time soon.
