On the same day a man charged with shooting two Detroit police officers and suspected of killing another was deemed not competent to stand trial, Chief James Craig took aim today at what he called a mental health crisis that is putting his officers and the public at risk.
"When will it stop? When will we get serious about treating the mentally ill?" Craig asked.
A Wayne County judge today deemed Raymond Durham not competent to face charges that he shot officers James Kisselburg and Ben Atkinson in March after they stopped him for acting erratically. DNA found on Durham matched that of Wayne State Officer Collin Rose, who was killed in November.
Craig says there are too many suffering on Detroit’s streets like Durham today, who turn violent because treatment never comes.
"I've got to believe there was treatment available, and maybe there was. I’m not happy about anything surrounding this," Craig said. "If you look a the Wayne County Jail, I know in having conversations with Sheriff Napoleon that 70% of the inmate population is suffering form mental illness."
While he was deemed no competent to stand trial, Durham could still face charges down the road. He is due back in court in August, where the court will decide whether he’s ben restored to competency.
