Bay St. Louis police discuss mental health crisis response
On Tuesday evening, Bay St. Louis law enforcement officials and neighboring agencies were faced with a heartbreaking task: responding to a call of a woman experiencing a mental health crisis on the US-90 bridge.
The man who led the charge in helping the woman to safety? Sergeant Demarcus Johnson, who described that moment to WXXV News 25.
“We [were] able to escort the female down from the side of the bridge and give her medical attention,” Johnson said.
Calls relating to mental health are common in the line of duty, and all policemen are thoroughly trained in how to respond. As Johnson explained, the methods for stopping a dangerous situation from happening — and possibly saving a life — rely on lots of communication.
“You want to keep them talking to you as much as possible,” Johnson said. “If it’s just a quick response, as long as they are responding to you and not focusing on the issue, it gives us time to put together a plan to try to escort them from that point.”
The assistance that police officers give in these moments of crisis do not end there.
Once an individual is guided to safety, officers address both physical and mental health concerns for as long as necessary. These resources are often available to anyone else who might be affected, such as an individual’s loved ones.
“To be honest, our job is never done,” Johnson said. “We are continuously reaching out, following up, offering all the resources we can.”
The success stories that eventually come from those tough calls mean everything to police officers, especially those like Sergeant Johnson.
“I’ve had cases where people come back and thank me and, you know, just a conversation or a hug or somebody holding hands just to get them through,” Johnson said.
In the end, that’s one of the main reasons why Johnson does his job.
“It means a lot to me personally, because that’s part of — the majority of — the reason why I became a police officer,” Johnson said. “My whole goal is to help people.”
