Violence in Connecticut By and To Individuals with Mental Illness: Connecticut should Change Involuntary treatment law

Much more info on mental illness and violence and how to prevent it contact Mental Illness Policy Org

Quick Facts:

  • Connecticut is one of only six states that does not allow courts to order mentally ill who have a history of violence, to stay in treatment as a condition of living in the community. They have refused to enact this legislation
  • Connecticut is short 850 beds to serve the minimlum needs of the seriously ill.
  • In Connecticut you are almost twice as likely to be incarcerated for mental illness as you are to be hospitalized.
  • In order to be involuntarily committed in Connecticut you must be a danger to self/others, or be in danger or serious harm from inability to provide for basic needs such as essential food, clothing, shelter or safety, and be unable to make a rational and informed decision concerning treatment.
  • Almost all violence by individuals with serious mental illness is a result of lack of treatment, or laws that require them to become violent before accessing it.
  • Most mentally ill are not violent, but a subset of the seriously ill who go off treatment do have a higher propensity to violence.

List of Violence in Connecticut By and To Individuals with Mental Illness

(Info below from Treatment Advocacy Center database for incidents 2005-2012

Date: 5/2011
Location: Killingly, Windham, CT
Summary: On May 1, 2011, the body of 20-year-old Samuel Miller was pulled from the Quinebaug River. According to police, Miller died by suicide. He suffered from Severe Depression and Schizophrenia.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 5/2/11; Norwich Bulletin, 5/3/11
RecordID: 5748

Date: 9/2011
Location: Hartford, Hartford, CT
Summary: On September 25, 2011, 18-year-old Bradon Jones barricaded himself inside of his apartment after setting it on fire. Firefighters responded to the home where they found flames shooting from the third-floor apartment. They attempted to get into the home when Jones snatched a metal tool firefighters use and began waving it around. Police subdued Jones with a stun gun and firefighters were able to get inside and extinguish the fire. Neighbors said Jones, diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, was mentally unstable. Firefighters said Jones might have been trying to commit suicide.

Source Of Information: NBC Connecticut, 9/26/11
RecordID: 5882

Date: 1/2012
Location: Bridgeport, Fairfield, CT
Summary: On January 24, 2012, 35-year-old Tyree Lincoln Smith of Florida was arrested and charged with killing Angel “Tun Tun” Gonzalez, a homeless Bridgeport man, with an ax and then eating his eyeball and part of his brain. Family members said Smith had sought treatment for psychiatric problems. On January 19, Fairfield police said Smith tried to kill himself in a CVS in Fairfield by slashing his wrist with a box cutter. He had been just days after he was discharged from St. Vincent’s Medical Center and about a week before Bridgeport police found Gonzalez’s decomposing body.

Source Of Information: CT Post, 1/26/12
RecordID: 3731

Date: 7/2005
Location: Cheshire, New Haven, CT
Summary: A 17-year-old inmate at the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire, CT apparently committed suicide in his cell early July 24, 2005. Correctional officers found David Burgos in his cell with a bed sheet tied around his neck, shortly after midnight. Members of the prison staff tried to revive him but Burgos was pronounced dead at the Mid-State Medical Center in Meriden an hour later. Burgos had been at the youth prison since March, 2005 and was awaiting a court appearance on a charge of violating his probation after he had been caught stealing. He had not been convicted of the charge and was not under a suicide watch. Diana Gonzalez, the boy’s mother, said he had bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The state Department of Correction, the Department of Children and Families, the Office of Protection and Advocacy and the Office of the Child Advocate are all launching investigations into Burgos’ death. Prior History: Burgos was placed in numerous treatment centers, hospitals and shelters as a child and adolescent as state officials tried to find programs to help him. He had been under DCF custody and guardianship since he was 10. His mother said that state officials allowed Burgos to sign himself out of DCF custody when he turned 16.

Source Of Information: WTIC-TV (CT), July 25, 2005; Newsday (NY), July 25, 2005; Hartford Courant, July 26, 2005; WTIC-TV, August 1, 2005
RecordID: 6207

Date: 9/2011
Location: Hartford, Hartford, CT
Summary: On September 25, 2011, 18-year-old Brandon Jones set fire to his family’s apartment. Jones barricaded himself in the apartment and brandished a knife when firefighters tried to rescue him and search for three children they were told were in the apartment. There were no children inside. Jones then struggled with firefighters and police. It took a Taser, pepper spray, and a spray of water to subdue him enough so that firefighters could carry him out of the apartment. Jones struggled all the way down from the third floor apartment. Subsequent History; On September 14, 2012, the 19-year-old Jones was found not guilty by reason of mental illness after a trial in Superior Court in Hartford. Jones suffered from schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, according to testimony in the one-day trial. A psychologist testified that Jones had not been taking prescribed medication for his mental illness at the time of incident. On the day of the fire, Jones was suicidal and thought about stabbing himself. Instead, he set a sofa on fire and hoped to die from the flames and smoke inhalation, according to the psychologist.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 9/14/12
RecordID: 3491

Date: 3/2005
Location: New Haven, New Haven, CT
Summary: Tyshan Napoleon, a 27-year-old man with bipolar disorder, was shot and killed by police in New Haven, CT on March 11, 2005. Napoleon had led police on a car chase, foot chase and shootout behind a local elementary school before being killed in the school parking lot. His mother, Rosie Buie, had called the police on her son after he began making bizarre comments and talked about hurting his girlfriend and their 2-week-old daughter. Buie knew her son had stopped taking his psychiatric medication nine months earlier and had a sawed-off shotgun in his possession. She believed he knew what he was doing, however, when he shot at the police. “My son was tired of dealing with his illness and he probably figured when he fired those shots that would be the end of it,” Buie said. Dr. Michael Nelkin, the psychiatrist who treated Napoleon from 2000 – 2002, said he also believed the situation was a textbook case of “suicide by cop.” Nelken said Napoleon chose to stop seeing him in 2002, after which Napoleon was briefly hospitalized. “This guy’s life could have been saved perhaps, if he had been forcibly medicated and had been forced to maintain his continued relationship with a psychiatrist,” Nelken said. Six New Haven police officers fired their weapons during the shoot out. They were placed on administrative leave until investigations were completed. Subsequent History: On October 4, 2005, the state prosecutor cleared the New Haven police officers of wrongdoing. Prior History: Hamden, CT police confirmed that Napoleon had a record with them. Lt. Richard Dunham said they were holding an outstanding arrest warrant with $20,000 bail on charges of third-degree assault, third-degree larceny and failure to appear in court. Dunham said Hamden police had been to Napoleon’s address 15 times since 2001. A Department of Correction search showed an arrest history of burglary, drug offenses, threatening and assault.

Source Of Information: WTNH-TV (CT), March 13, 2005; New Haven Register, March 13, 2005; WTNH-TV,March 14, 2005; Middletown Press, March 15, 2005; WTIC-TV, October 5, 2005
RecordID: 5270

Date: 1/2009
Location: Waterford, New London, CT
Summary: On January 17, 2009, James C. Perkins stabbed his elderly mother inside their home and then chased her into a neighbor’s home. Dawn Hamlin, who lived next door, told police Edith Perkins ran to her home seeking safety and that James had followed her. He kicked and then broke the glass on an interior door to get into the home and chased his mother out the back door and back to the street, where he continued to stab her. Mrs. Perkins suffered two stab wounds to the neck and three defensive wounds on her left arm. Waterford Patrolman Roger Reed, was the first officer on the scene. As he pulled onto James Avenue, Reed said he saw Edith Perkins lying on the side of the road with blood on the front of her blouse. James was kneeling behind her, clutching the broken kitchen knife in his hand. Reed said Perkins refused to drop the knife and seemed catatonic. A struggle ensued and Reed tasered James twice before he finally dropped the knife. James suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was off his medications when he attacked his mother. Subsequent History: On January 8, 2010, James C. Perkins, 37, was taken to the Whiting Forensic Institute following Judge Susan B. Handy’s finding that he was not guilty due to mental disease or defect. James suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was off his medications when he attacked his mother with a kitchen knife. Attorney Peter E. Scillieri sought the commitment to a mental hospital for Perkins. Prosecutor Paul J. Narducci did not object to the so-called “NGRI,” or not guilty by reason of insanity defense. Perkins was to be evaluated at Whiting, and Handy was to determine, in February, how long he was to be committed to the care of the state’s Psychiatric Security Review Board. During the brief trial, Peter M. Zeman, a top psychiatrist from the Institute of Living, testified that he diagnosed Perkins with chronic paranoid schizophrenia after interviewing him three times and reviewing medical and psychiatric records and police reports. He said it is common for people with schizophrenia to stop taking their medication or reduce the doses, and that inevitably results in a return or worsening of symptoms, which include paranoia and delusions. Perkins told him he stabbed his mother because he was angry with her. Subsequent History: On March 12, 2010, New London Judge Susan B. Handy ruled that James C. Perkins, who stabbed his elderly mother last year and chased her into a neighbor’s home should be confined for up to 15 years at the Whiting Forensic Institute. Perkins, 37, suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and has a history of not taking his medication, according to court testimony. He had been at the state’s maximum security psychiatric hospital in Middletown since January, when Handy found him not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source Of Information: New London Day, 1/9/10, The Day, 3/12/10
RecordID: 5270

Date: 1/2009
Location: Waterford, New London, CT
Summary: On January 17, 2009, James C. Perkins stabbed his elderly mother inside their home and then chased her into a neighbor’s home. Dawn Hamlin, who lived next door, told police Edith Perkins ran to her home seeking safety and that James had followed her. He kicked and then broke the glass on an interior door to get into the home and chased his mother out the back door and back to the street, where he continued to stab her. Mrs. Perkins suffered two stab wounds to the neck and three defensive wounds on her left arm. Waterford Patrolman Roger Reed, was the first officer on the scene. As he pulled onto James Avenue, Reed said he saw Edith Perkins lying on the side of the road with blood on the front of her blouse. James was kneeling behind her, clutching the broken kitchen knife in his hand. Reed said Perkins refused to drop the knife and seemed catatonic. A struggle ensued and Reed tasered James twice before he finally dropped the knife. James suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was off his medications when he attacked his mother. Subsequent History: On January 8, 2010, James C. Perkins, 37, was taken to the Whiting Forensic Institute following Judge Susan B. Handy’s finding that he was not guilty due to mental disease or defect. James suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was off his medications when he attacked his mother with a kitchen knife. Attorney Peter E. Scillieri sought the commitment to a mental hospital for Perkins. Prosecutor Paul J. Narducci did not object to the so-called “NGRI,” or not guilty by reason of insanity defense. Perkins was to be evaluated at Whiting, and Handy was to determine, in February, how long he was to be committed to the care of the state’s Psychiatric Security Review Board. During the brief trial, Peter M. Zeman, a top psychiatrist from the Institute of Living, testified that he diagnosed Perkins with chronic paranoid schizophrenia after interviewing him three times and reviewing medical and psychiatric records and police reports. He said it is common for people with schizophrenia to stop taking their medication or reduce the doses, and that inevitably results in a return or worsening of symptoms, which include paranoia and delusions. Perkins told him he stabbed his mother because he was angry with her. Subsequent History: On March 12, 2010, New London Judge Susan B. Handy ruled that James C. Perkins, who stabbed his elderly mother last year and chased her into a neighbor’s home should be confined for up to 15 years at the Whiting Forensic Institute. Perkins, 37, suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia and has a history of not taking his medication, according to court testimony. He had been at the state’s maximum security psychiatric hospital in Middletown since January, when Handy found him not guilty by reason of insanity.

Source Of Information: New London Day, 1/9/10, The Day, 3/12/10
RecordID: 5844

Date: 5/2009
Location: Middletown, Middlesex, CT
Summary: On May 6, 2009, 29-year-old Stephen Morgan fatally shot 21-year-old Johanna Justin-Jinich, a Wesleyan University student, while she worked at a bookstore near campus. Morgan disguised in a wig and glasses, fled the scene leaving his wig behind. Subsequent History: During Morgan’s December 2011 murder trial, a video of a psychiatrist’s interview with the defendant was shown in which he told the psychiatrist that he shot Justin-Jinich because he believed she was hacking into his computer and watching him. The psychiatrist, testifying for the defense, and said Morgan showed signs of paranoid schizophrenia. Prosecutors said emails written by Justin-Jinich show Morgan was stalking and harassing her. While attending Wesleyan, Justin-Jinich filed a harassment complaint against Morgan for unwanted and insulting phone calls and emails, but ended up not pursuing criminal charges. Subsequent History: On December 16, 2011, the 32-year-old Morgan was found not guilty by reason of insanity. During the trial, a forensic psychologist testified that Morgan suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

Source Of Information: The Huffington Post, 5/7/09; WCVB-5, 12/14/11; Washington Post, 12/16/11
RecordID: 5867

Date: 3/2011
Location: Hartford, Hartford, CT
Summary: On March 22, 2011, Anthony Nelson killed his 3-month-old son Noah. Nelson told Hartford detectives, he got up during the night and carried Noah “football-style,” with the child facing the floor. He slipped and fell, landing on the infant’s head. Nelson then put his son who showed signs of physical distress, facedown in his crib and went back to bed. Noah was born addicted to cocaine and went through withdrawal in the first weeks of his life. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the head. Both of his parents, Shana and Anthony Nelson, abused drugs, and on the night of his death, they had drunk beer and used cocaine. Anthony Nelson also suffered from serious mental illness and had not sought treatment that would have provided him the medication that he needed. Subsequent History: On January 12, 2012, the 41-year-old Nelson was sentenced to 18 years in prison for causing Noah’s death. Nelson also will be on special parole for seven years upon his release from prison.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 1/12/12
RecordID: 5882

Date: 1/2012
Location: Bridgeport, Fairfield, CT
Summary: On January 24, 2012, 35-year-old Tyree Lincoln Smith of Florida was arrested and charged with killing Angel “Tun Tun” Gonzalez, a homeless Bridgeport man, with an ax and then eating his eyeball and part of his brain. Family members said Smith had sought treatment for psychiatric problems. On January 19, Fairfield police said Smith tried to kill himself in a CVS in Fairfield by slashing his wrist with a box cutter. He had been just days after he was discharged from St. Vincent’s Medical Center and about a week before Bridgeport police found Gonzalez’s decomposing body.

Source Of Information: CT Post, 1/26/12
RecordID: 5704

Date: 5/2010
Location: Middletown, Middlesex, CT
Summary: On May 11, 2010, 52-year-old Lori Fappiano fired at four Middletown Officers who were asked to do a welfare check. No one was injured in the incident. Police entered her apartment when she didn’t respond to their orders to come out. While in route, officers received information from officials at River Valley Services that she may be in possession of a firearm. Workers at the hospital had spoken with Fappiano earlier and described her as incoherent and depressed. River Valley Services serves people with chronic mental illness in Middlesex County. Subsequent History: In June 2010, a judge ruled that Fappiano was not competent but said he believed she could be restored during inpatient treatment for 60 days at the maximum-security Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown. In September 2010, a judge found Fappiano competent to stand trial after a report was submitted by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. At that time, Fappiano was sent back to prison. Subsequent History: On August 2, 2011, a judge granted prosecutors’ request for the state’s own psychiatric examination of Fappiano. Fappiano’s Public Defender had filed a notice in June saying he planned an insanity defense for Fappiano. Two prior mental health evaluations show Fappiano had a mental disease or defect at the time of the shooting. Subsequent History: On May 16, 2012, the 54-year-old Fappiano was acquitted by a Superior Court judge of attempted murder and found not guilty by reason of insanity on lesser charges of attempted first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm. Fappiano’s attorney said her paranoid schizophrenia made her unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct at the time of the shooting and unable to control her actions. The attorney said Fappiano had stopped taking medication for the illness because she claimed it was causing her to gain weight.

Source Of Information: The Register Citizen, 5/12/10; MiddletownPress.com, 5/13/10, 8/5/11, 8/1/12; Hartford Courant, 8/2/11, 3/20/12, 5/16/12
RecordID: 5704

Date: 5/2010
Location: Middletown, Middlesex, CT
Summary: On May 11, 2010, 52-year-old Lori Fappiano fired at four Middletown Officers who were asked to do a welfare check. No one was injured in the incident. Police entered her apartment when she didn’t respond to their orders to come out. While in route, officers received information from officials at River Valley Services that she may be in possession of a firearm. Workers at the hospital had spoken with Fappiano earlier and described her as incoherent and depressed. River Valley Services serves people with chronic mental illness in Middlesex County. Subsequent History: In June 2010, a judge ruled that Fappiano was not competent but said he believed she could be restored during inpatient treatment for 60 days at the maximum-security Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown. In September 2010, a judge found Fappiano competent to stand trial after a report was submitted by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. At that time, Fappiano was sent back to prison. Subsequent History: On August 2, 2011, a judge granted prosecutors’ request for the state’s own psychiatric examination of Fappiano. Fappiano’s Public Defender had filed a notice in June saying he planned an insanity defense for Fappiano. Two prior mental health evaluations show Fappiano had a mental disease or defect at the time of the shooting. Subsequent History: On May 16, 2012, the 54-year-old Fappiano was acquitted by a Superior Court judge of attempted murder and found not guilty by reason of insanity on lesser charges of attempted first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm. Fappiano’s attorney said her paranoid schizophrenia made her unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct at the time of the shooting and unable to control her actions. The attorney said Fappiano had stopped taking medication for the illness because she claimed it was causing her to gain weight.

Source Of Information: The Register Citizen, 5/12/10; MiddletownPress.com, 5/13/10, 8/5/11, 8/1/12; Hartford Courant, 8/2/11, 3/20/12, 5/16/12
RecordID: 5704

Date: 5/2010
Location: Middletown, Middlesex, CT
Summary: On May 11, 2010, 52-year-old Lori Fappiano fired at four Middletown Officers who were asked to do a welfare check. No one was injured in the incident. Police entered her apartment when she didn’t respond to their orders to come out. While in route, officers received information from officials at River Valley Services that she may be in possession of a firearm. Workers at the hospital had spoken with Fappiano earlier and described her as incoherent and depressed. River Valley Services serves people with chronic mental illness in Middlesex County. Subsequent History: In June 2010, a judge ruled that Fappiano was not competent but said he believed she could be restored during inpatient treatment for 60 days at the maximum-security Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown. In September 2010, a judge found Fappiano competent to stand trial after a report was submitted by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. At that time, Fappiano was sent back to prison. Subsequent History: On August 2, 2011, a judge granted prosecutors’ request for the state’s own psychiatric examination of Fappiano. Fappiano’s Public Defender had filed a notice in June saying he planned an insanity defense for Fappiano. Two prior mental health evaluations show Fappiano had a mental disease or defect at the time of the shooting. Subsequent History: On May 16, 2012, the 54-year-old Fappiano was acquitted by a Superior Court judge of attempted murder and found not guilty by reason of insanity on lesser charges of attempted first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm. Fappiano’s attorney said her paranoid schizophrenia made her unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct at the time of the shooting and unable to control her actions. The attorney said Fappiano had stopped taking medication for the illness because she claimed it was causing her to gain weight.

Source Of Information: The Register Citizen, 5/12/10; MiddletownPress.com, 5/13/10, 8/5/11, 8/1/12; Hartford Courant, 8/2/11, 3/20/12, 5/16/12
RecordID: 5704

Date: 5/2010
Location: Middletown, Middlesex, CT
Summary: On May 11, 2010, 52-year-old Lori Fappiano fired at four Middletown Officers who were asked to do a welfare check. No one was injured in the incident. Police entered her apartment when she didn’t respond to their orders to come out. While in route, officers received information from officials at River Valley Services that she may be in possession of a firearm. Workers at the hospital had spoken with Fappiano earlier and described her as incoherent and depressed. River Valley Services serves people with chronic mental illness in Middlesex County. Subsequent History: In June 2010, a judge ruled that Fappiano was not competent but said he believed she could be restored during inpatient treatment for 60 days at the maximum-security Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown. In September 2010, a judge found Fappiano competent to stand trial after a report was submitted by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. At that time, Fappiano was sent back to prison. Subsequent History: On August 2, 2011, a judge granted prosecutors’ request for the state’s own psychiatric examination of Fappiano. Fappiano’s Public Defender had filed a notice in June saying he planned an insanity defense for Fappiano. Two prior mental health evaluations show Fappiano had a mental disease or defect at the time of the shooting. Subsequent History: On May 16, 2012, the 54-year-old Fappiano was acquitted by a Superior Court judge of attempted murder and found not guilty by reason of insanity on lesser charges of attempted first-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm. Fappiano’s attorney said her paranoid schizophrenia made her unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct at the time of the shooting and unable to control her actions. The attorney said Fappiano had stopped taking medication for the illness because she claimed it was causing her to gain weight.

Source Of Information: The Register Citizen, 5/12/10; MiddletownPress.com, 5/13/10, 8/5/11, 8/1/12; Hartford Courant, 8/2/11, 3/20/12, 5/16/12
RecordID: 5472

Date: 4/2010
Location: Branford, New Haven, CT
Summary: On April 26, 2010, 44-year-old Lishan Wang fatally shot 34-year-old Vajinder Toor, a Yale postdoctoral fellow, outside his home, before fleeing the scene in a red minivan. Branford police took Wang into custody shortly after, finding three handguns and two ammunition magazines in his vehicle. They also found a picture of Toor, with whom Wang had worked at the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn until 2008. Wang had lain in wait for Toor for at least a day, and was carrying the directions to the homes of two other doctors he blamed for getting him fired from Kingsbrook. Prior History: In 2008, Wang was a resident at Kingsbrook, and Toor was Wang’s boss. In May of that year, Toor and two other personnel confronted Wang about alleged lapses in his duties, and ultimately Wang was fired. Just over a year later, Wang filed a lawsuit against Kingsbrook in which he accused the hospital of discriminating against him because he is Chinese. According to the suit, Wang has been a permanent resident of the United States since 2004 and entered Kingsbrook’s medical residency program in 2006. Subsequent History: On September 28, 2010, a judge ruled that Lishan Wang was unable to stand trial due to his mental state and ordered him to spend 60 days receiving mental health treatment in state custody. The ruling applied only to Wang’s mental state following his arrest and has no bearing on his mental state when he allegedly committed the crime.

Source Of Information: Yale Daily News, 4/27/10; 9/30/10
RecordID: 5487

Date: 10/2010
Location: New Haven, New Haven, CT
Summary: On October 14, 2010, 35-year-old Howard was place under a police-ordered psychiatric committal after a stand-off with police during which he hung out of his window, threw items out of the window, and started a fire in his room. Howard’s sister said he suffered from schizophrenia and was “off his meds.” The incident happened at ALSO-Cornerstone, a non-profit agency that provides mental health, substance abuse treatment, and residential and supportive housing services. Police got involved after getting called to assist an ambulance crew with a combative patient. Howard’s sister said he was diagnosed more than a decade ago. While he was locked in his apartment, he made a frantic call to their mother, saying, “They’re going to kill me,” and she and their mother rushed over.

Source Of Information: New Haven Register, 10/15/10; MiddletonPress.com, 10/15/10
RecordID: 5506

Date: 3/2009
Location: Hartford, Hartford, CT
Summary: On March 21, 2009, 31-year-old Calwyn Fearon arrested in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend, 52-year-old Sharon Tyrell-Barnaby. Fearon told police that ghosts were taunting him which made him shoot Tyrell-Barnaby and leave their apartment in her Jaguar. He said that his girlfriend was “the Head Ghost” and he “had enough.” Tyrell-Barnaby was recovering from a stroke in the apartment that she shared with Fearon. Her worried daughter called police and told them that she had been trying to reach her mother for two days. Respondnig medics found her in bed with at least one gunshot wound to the temple. Investigators believed she was shot some time the day before. Subsequent History: On November 8, 2010, 33-year-old Calwyn Fearon who shot his girlfriend because ghosts were “taunting” him was found not guilty by reason of mental defect. A forensic psychiatrist testified that Fearon suffers from chronic paranoid schizophrenia. He was expected to be committed to the custody of the Connecticut Psychiatric Security Review Board. Subsequent History: On February 16, 2011, 33-year-old Calwyn Fearon who had been found not guilty of murder by reason of mental defect or disease, was sentenced to a psychiatric facility for 60 years. Fearon’s status was to be reviewed every two years and he could be released early if found competent.

Source Of Information: Eyewitness News 3 (WFSB), 3/21/09; Courtant.com 3/24/09; The Hartford Courant, 11/10/10; NECN.com, 2/17/11
RecordID: 5912

Date: 2/2012
Location: New Britain, Hartford, CT
Summary: On February 9, 2012, 34-year-old James D’Aquila was arrested and charged in the death of his mother. James fatally beat his mother, 64-year-old Donna D’Aquila, in her home and then stole her car. James’ attorney said his client suffered from schizophrenia. He was ordered to undergo a psychological competency examination. Subsequent History On May 3, 2012, D’Aquila was sentenced to 60 days at the Whiting Forensic Division of Connecticut Valley Hospital in an effort to restore him to competency.

Source Of Information: Record Journal, 2/16/12, 5/3/12
RecordID: 6129

Date: 1/2008
Location: Unionville, Hartford, CT
Summary: On January 16, 2008, Michael Elliott Whilby killed his father, 66-year-old Evans R. Whilby by pushing him down a flight of stairs. The elder Whilby died of a broken neck. However, his son was not charged in the death until July 11, 2012. At the time of the killing, Whilby told Farmington police that he found his father dead after going to his parents’ house in Unionville to check on him. Whilby told police that his mother had called him from Las Vegas, where she was travelling on business, and expressed concern that her husband had not arrived in Las Vegas as expected. Subsequent History: On July 11, 2012, the 38-year-old Whilby, who had a history of mental illness, was charged with murder in connection with his father’s death four years before. Whilby, who had been living in Palm Bay, FL since his father’s death was returned to Connecticut. Evans Whilby’s death had been ruled an accident following an investigation. On June 29, 2012 police reopened the case after the Melbourne Beach Police called them to report that Michael Whilby had confessed to killing his father. A friend of Whilby’s had called Melbourne Beach police earlier that day to report that Whilby said he’d killed his father and that he wanted to kill other people that day. Wilby’s mother said her son was paranoid and delusional and had not been properly diagnosed or medicated.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 7/11/12
RecordID: 6133

Date: 10/2010
Location: Shelton, Fairfield, CT
Summary: On October 5, 2010, 37-year-old Toai Nguyen stabbed his sister in their apartment. She was in serious, but stable condition after the attack. Prior History: In 2008, Nguyen beat his elderly father with the Club, an automobile anti-theft device fracturing his skull. Nguyen was released from prison earlier in 2010 after being sentenced in that crime. On July 31, 2012, Nguyen was found guilty of not guilty of attempted murder by reason of mental disease or defect. Nguyen was ordered to Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown for psychiatric evaluation. A follow-up hearing was scheduled for Sept. 25. At which time, Nguyen could possibly be discharged or confined to a psychiatric hospital. In his ruling, the judge cited testimony by a Hartford psychiatrist, who said Nguyen suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

Source Of Information: NewHavenIndependent.org, 10/6/10; New Haven Register, 7/31/12
RecordID: 5103

Date: 9/2008
Location: Waterbury, New Haven, CT
Summary: In September 2008, James Mastropietro was arrested after police said he approached a woman at the Cumberland Farms convenience store in Wolcott, saying he had a gun. He forced her to give up her purse, saying he would shoot her if she didn’t. Subsequent History: On June 19, 2009, James Mastropietro, 31, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for robbing people while they were going about their business on city streets. Mastropietro admitted he was a stick-up man. He carried out his stickups after he had been laid off from his job and couldn’t cover the cost of drugs to treat his mental disorders, his supporters say. According to Leslie Cavanagh, his public defender, Mastropietro was a certified heating and air conditioning technician who relied on medication to treat his mental illnesses — including bipolar disorder — but was laid off from his job and lost his insurance. “He was unfortunately off his meds,” said Cavanagh. “It’s not an excuse; it’s a statement of fact.”

Source Of Information: Waterbury Republican American, 6/20/09
RecordID: 5106

Date: 6/2009
Location: Enfield, Hartford, CT
Summary: On June 21, 2009, 27-year-old Michael O’Brien engaged police in a 30-minute standoff. The incident began after O’Brien knocked his mother to the floor and his dad called 911. He greeted an officer responding to the domestic disturbance by dropping ammunition for a large-caliber rifle at the cop’s feet. He turned and walked away, refusing to talk to Officer Michael Rotondaro and vowed to get his guns. That’s when Rotondaro heard the metallic clicks of a gun being cocked. The ensuing standoff ended when another officer, Matthew Meier, saw O’Brien headed toward a wooded area and ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. O’Brien resisted Meier, and it took Meier and three other officers to get him under control. O’Brien was arrested on 10 charges, including assault on a police officer and carrying a dangerous weapon. Police found a high-powered, Remington rifle with a scope, handguns, swords and martial arts weapons in the home, although not all of them belonged to O’Brien. Prior History: Michael O’Brien O’Brien, who his girlfriend said is bipolar and off his medication, was the subject of a similar standoff in 2007 that brought a regional SWAT team to his house, Enfield Deputy Chief Anjo Timmerman said.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 6/23/09
RecordID: 5106

Date: 6/2009
Location: Enfield, Hartford, CT
Summary: On June 21, 2009, 27-year-old Michael O’Brien engaged police in a 30-minute standoff. The incident began after O’Brien knocked his mother to the floor and his dad called 911. He greeted an officer responding to the domestic disturbance by dropping ammunition for a large-caliber rifle at the cop’s feet. He turned and walked away, refusing to talk to Officer Michael Rotondaro and vowed to get his guns. That’s when Rotondaro heard the metallic clicks of a gun being cocked. The ensuing standoff ended when another officer, Matthew Meier, saw O’Brien headed toward a wooded area and ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. O’Brien resisted Meier, and it took Meier and three other officers to get him under control. O’Brien was arrested on 10 charges, including assault on a police officer and carrying a dangerous weapon. Police found a high-powered, Remington rifle with a scope, handguns, swords and martial arts weapons in the home, although not all of them belonged to O’Brien. Prior History: Michael O’Brien O’Brien, who his girlfriend said is bipolar and off his medication, was the subject of a similar standoff in 2007 that brought a regional SWAT team to his house, Enfield Deputy Chief Anjo Timmerman said.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 6/23/09
RecordID: 5106

Date: 6/2009
Location: Enfield, Hartford, CT
Summary: On June 21, 2009, 27-year-old Michael O’Brien engaged police in a 30-minute standoff. The incident began after O’Brien knocked his mother to the floor and his dad called 911. He greeted an officer responding to the domestic disturbance by dropping ammunition for a large-caliber rifle at the cop’s feet. He turned and walked away, refusing to talk to Officer Michael Rotondaro and vowed to get his guns. That’s when Rotondaro heard the metallic clicks of a gun being cocked. The ensuing standoff ended when another officer, Matthew Meier, saw O’Brien headed toward a wooded area and ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. O’Brien resisted Meier, and it took Meier and three other officers to get him under control. O’Brien was arrested on 10 charges, including assault on a police officer and carrying a dangerous weapon. Police found a high-powered, Remington rifle with a scope, handguns, swords and martial arts weapons in the home, although not all of them belonged to O’Brien. Prior History: Michael O’Brien O’Brien, who his girlfriend said is bipolar and off his medication, was the subject of a similar standoff in 2007 that brought a regional SWAT team to his house, Enfield Deputy Chief Anjo Timmerman said.

Source Of Information: Hartford Courant, 6/23/09

DJ Jaffe is Executive Director of the non-partisan Mental Illness Policy Org., and author of Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill. He is a critic of the mental health industry for ignoring the seriously ill, and has been advocating for better treatment for individuals with serious mental illness for over 30 years. He has written op-eds on the intersection of mental health and criminal justice policy for the New York Times, Wall St. Journal and the Washington Post. New York Magazine has credited him with being the driving force behind the passage of New York’s Kendra’s Law and Congress incorporated ideas proposed by DJ in the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.