March 11, 2020
COMMUNITY working together, PREVENTED a potential incident
Monday morning, March 9th at approximately 11:30, Cobb County 911 dispatchers received calls about a suspicious man with a gun near the intersection of Powder Springs Street and Garrison Road. Marietta officers were dispatched and made contact with a twenty-six-year-old man who did appear to have very peculiar behavior but was not currently breaking any laws. Officers spent more than thirty minutes talking with the man to ensure he was okay and did not need medical assistance. During their conversation they learned he was legally carrying two concealed hand guns, and had just gone into a local pawn shop attempting to purchase a shot gun. Due to medical privacy we must leave all names out of this release. The man struggled to carry on a normal conversation and his answers, although disturbing, did not give officers any justification to extend their encounter. Once they determined the man did not appear to be an immediate threat to himself or others, they documented the incident on a Field Interview card and released him with both of his hand guns.
Approximately two hours later dispatch advised that they had received a new suspicious person call from inside a restaurant on Powder Springs Street near Hedges Street. The suspect description they provided matched the man officers had talked with a few hours earlier. When officers arrived they found the same man sitting inside the restaurant, not speaking or communicating with anyone. He had turned his chair to face outside and placed two loaded hand gun magazines on the table next to him, along with a small empty wine bottle. Officers made contact with him again and this time they could articulate the combined pattern of his erratic behavior. The officers removed both hand guns from the young man and attempted to contact his family. The man was escorted outside the restaurant and the mobile crisis hotline was contacted. The mobile crisis hotline dispatched their staff to the scene to assist the officers.
It took some persistence, but the young man’s mother was eventually located and stated her son's behavior seemed "off" to her that morning as well. She left work and met with a Marietta officer at their home, leading the officer to even more weapons that her son had left lying around. The mobile crisis team arrived and determined that the young man appeared to be in some sort of mental or medical situation that prevented him from thinking rationally. After some discussion, he reluctantly agreed to be taken for evaluation. Per the mothers request, all weapons were removed from the home and will be stored at the police department until she determines what to do with them.
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From Chief Flynn: This has all the classic warning signs we read about after shooting incidents and then ask "why didn't anyone step in to help..." I am thankful to the concerned citizens that called and the professional way our Marietta officers handled this situation. Working together as a community, public safety was ensured and this man will now be able to get the help he needs.
