VM-2650

CU POLICE OFFICER AND SERGEANT RIDING IN POLICE CAR. TITLE: "POLICE ARE OFTEN CALLED UPON TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTALLY DISTURBED. TO HELP THEM THE LOUISIANA ASS'N. FOR MENTAL HEALTH...... .....".

SPECTATORS WATCH AS THE SCREAMING WOMAN IS FORCED INTO A CAR BY MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS.

YOUNG BOY WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES, MENTALLY HANDICAPPED.
DESCRIBED BY NARRATOR AS "MENTALLY RETARDED". AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGE BOY, SITS ON WORK HORSE AND ACTS AS IF HE WAS RIDING AN IMAGINARY HORSE. BLACK POLICEMAN TALKS TO HIS MOM, AS GROUP OF BOYS MAKE FUN OF HIM. LIGHT-SKINNED AFRICAN AMERICAN COP, POLICE OFFICER. POOR SOUTHERN BLACKS. BLACK BOYS, TEENAGERS. BLACK BOY ON BICYCLE, KIDS LAUGHING.

AS POLICEMAN BOOKS IN THE ATTEMPT SUICIDE, ANOTHER SEARCHES HIM. HE IS HELD UNTIL MEDICAL HELP CAN BE FOUND. BELTS, SHOELACES ARE REMOVED FROM HIM.

PARENTS OF DISTURBED MAN GO TO JAIL TO BAIL HIM OUT, BUT ARE ADVISED BY JAILER TO LEAVE HIM THERE UNTIL THEY CAN HAVE HIM MEDICALLY CHECKED. "IN HERE HE CAN'T HURT ANYBODY AND HE CAN'T HURT HIMSELF".

2 POLICEMEN IN POLICE CAR, RESPOND TO CALL, OF STABBING, NOT KNOWING IF A MENTAL PATIENT IS INVOLVED. "THEY MUST BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING".

PEOPLE CROWD STAIRWAY OF APARTMENT HOUSE AS POLICEMEN RUN UP STAIRS TO TROUBLED APARTMENT SEVERAL FLIGHTS UP..

SERGEANT KNOCKS ON DOOR, HEARS MAN SCREAMING INSIDE. WOMAN COMES OUT OF ADJACENT DOOR TELLS COPS HER HUSBAND HELD A KNIFE TO HER THROAT. SHE SAYS" HE DOESN'T HAVE A GUN".

SERGEANT TELLS HIS PARTNER TO GET MORE HELP, SEND ANOTHER CAR. POLICEMAN RUNS DOWN STAIRS, CLEARS STAIRWAY OF CROWD OF NEIGHBORS.

REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE AND SERGEANT GIVES THEM INSTRUCTIONS ON TAKING THE MAN DOWN..

DERANGED MAN, KNIFE IN HAND, STANDS UP, SLOWLY APPROACHES THE SGT. WHO KEEPS TALKING . "WE'RE HEAR TO PROTECT YOU, NOBODY WILL HURT YOU".

POLICEMAN DISBURSES CROWD OF NEIGHBORS IN STAIRWELL.

HANDCUFFS ARE REMOVED. "HANDCUFFS SHOULD BE REMOVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE". CUFFS ARE PLACED IN FRONT THROUGH A RETAINING BELT, TO AVOID THEM BEING USED AS WEAPON.

JAILER PLACES CIGARETTE IN PATIENTS MOUTH THROUGH THE BARS, THEN LIGHTS IT WITH LIGHTER

JAILER CHECKS OTHER INMATES IN CELLS, THEN REMOVES HANDCUFFS FROM MENTALLY ILL MAN, THROUGH THE BARS, WHILE TALKING AND SOOTHING HIM..

AS HE WRITES HIS REPORT, THE SGT. SAYS, "REMEMBER, THESE PEOPLE ARE SCARED, VERY SCARED OF THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND THE POLICE TOO.....".

SGT. RIDING PATROL CAR AS HIS SIDEKICK MUNCHES ON HERO SANDWICH. TWO SPANISH SPEAKING WOMAN FLAG HIM DOWN, BUT HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR JABBERING. HE TELL SIDEKICK TO WAIT, THEN HAS THE WOMEN ESCORT HIM TO THE PROBLEM APARTMENT.

SGT. CHECKS MAN LYING ON FLOOR FACE UP. AS HE ASKS WOMEN "IS HE SICK?", THE MAN SPRINGS TO LIFE, ATTACKS SGT. WOMAN SCREAMS, CLOSES DOOR, RUNS DOWN TO POLICE OFFICER FOR HELP/

THE 2 POLICEMEN EACH GRAB A PILLOW, HOLD MAN DOWN TO FLOOR WITH PILLOWS, TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY. SGT. CUFFS MAN AS THE 2 HOLD HIM DOWN. EXHAUSTED SGT. EXAMINES HIS RIPPED UNIFORM.

INMATE MOPS OUTSIDE JAIL CELLS AS DISTURBED MAN IS TAKEN TO EMPTY CELL ON STRETCHER.

CU FACE SHOT OF MENTAL PATIENT. TITLE: "EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ON A 24 HOUR BASIS".