A routine community visit quickly escalated into a tense mental-health crisis when officers responded to a call about a teen who had suddenly run off during a severe bipolar episode.
When the officer arrived, he found the boy’s mother — exhausted, shaken, and still in slippers — explaining the situation the best she could.
She told him her son, Troy, had been sitting calmly in the bleachers when, without warning, he stood up and walked off. She couldn’t chase him; she feared that if she did, he would bolt.
The officer asked for background, trying to understand what he was dealing with.
The mother explained that Troy was bipolar with psychotic features. The night before, he had been picked up by police in a different town for what seemed like a small incident — something involving a cheap beer. But when she picked him up afterward, his mood was unstable, and throughout the night things only got worse.
Her voice cracked as she revealed the most alarming detail:
Troy had strangled his 15-year-old brother the previous night before running off.
She made it clear — her son wasn’t a criminal. He was sick, confused, and in desperate need of help.
That morning, she found the basement window open. He had climbed out and vanished again.
The officer asked if Troy had any weapons. She shook her head.
Then he gently asked for the teen’s name and headed off to find him.
Moments later, the officer spotted Troy walking away.
“Hey, you’re not in trouble, man… just talk to me for a second,” he called out.
But the teen kept distancing himself, refusing eye contact, tense and agitated.
The officer remained calm:
“I want to help. Tell me how I can help, Troy. Just talk to me.”
But instead of responding, Troy suddenly turned aggressive.
The officer radioed for backup as the situation intensified.
“Get off me!” the teen shouted as the officer moved in to restrain him.
The officer responded firmly but controlled:
“I know — you’re coming with me. Let’s go.”
A brief struggle followed, but the officer managed to get Troy under control without serious injury.
Once restrained, the officer checked on him:
“You okay?”
Troy nodded reluctantly.
The officer reassured him:
“Yeah, it wasn’t that hard.”
The crisis was over — at least for the moment.
What remained was a family in turmoil, a mother begging for help, and a teenager fighting demons he couldn’t understand.
