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Drunk and off his meds
By adamg on Mon, 01/14/2008 - 2:06pm
Michael T. Jones's lawyer says that might explain how the Boston cop wound up being charged with the armed holdup of a Roslindale gas station, the Herald reports, adding the lawyer also said Jones was "troubled" because he was caring for his leukemia-stricken father.
Jones was arraigned this morning in Faulkner Hospital instead of at West Roxbury District Court. He was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 on bail on the charges he used his department-issued gun to hold up Best of Boston on Friday afternoon.
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Comments
A sorry set of excuses
Lots of folks get drunk, or forget to take a pill, or have dying relatives. How many of them decide to solve these problems by sticking up a gas station?
And I still want to know why he gets to stay in a hospital instead of going to jail while awaiting arraignment.
Hey Eddie! Instead of
Hey Eddie! Instead of placing the guy on "administrative leave", FIRE HIM.
Fire him!
We, the public, need protection from this cop.....
In-hospital arraignments
Are not uncommon when the defendant has been admitted as an inpatient. Usually, it's when the person has some physical injury, but that doesn't seem to be the case here, obviously. Still, an inpatient is an inpatient.
Why he's in the hospital
The Globe reports on his arraignment:
Inappropriate environment
Jail is an inappropriate place for, say, a flamingly manic or psychotic person. He would be a danger to himself and others in that space. Psych meds take time to work the first time or when reintroduced and time to adjust and cannot be administered in a jail setting.
I can understand how caring for an elder and attempting to hold one's life together can really make you lose it. This is especially true for somebody who is already developing psych issues in early adulthood - the prime time for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and any manner of organic psychiatric issues to rear their heads.
I have relatives who eventually got their acts together, but had a rather hellish time in their late teens/early 20s. It isn't as simple as one might think.
YOU KNOW. . .
You know, I've met this guy, and I've known him personally. He took care of his cancer stricken father for 10 years. He served on the force for 20, and in all honesty, is a really good guy. I might have said the same thing as you had I not known him, but being on the other side, hearing things like that, really hurt.
State of mind
Why a 20 year police veteran holds up a gas station with his department-issued 9mm glock is a bit of a mystery. Clearly, he judgment was compromised if he believed he was going to get away with it. If it was cry for help, it worked. Thank god he didn't kill anyone. His career is over. He'll probably get jail time.
The intrigue "What was he thinking?" is what drives this story. Because he is in the health system, he's health status is protected by law and it will likely remain a confidential unless and until his attorney decides to make it public.
I'm glad his brother is standing up for him in the press. This guy needs all the friends he can get. He will be held accountable and pay a debt to society.