“How could this guy allow his son to live on the streets?”
Kelly Thomas was an adult who was mentally ill. There is very little legally that a parent can do once their child hits age 18. They can no longer force him to take his medication. They can’t institutionalize him unless he is homicidal or suicidal and that is only for a short 72 hour evaluation. They can’t chain him inside their home. “Your son had issues and you knew it”.. the family did know he was ill but from previous articles that I read.. their hands were bound. What is very sad is I’m sure the family may have felt that their son would have eventually died on the streets but not being beaten to death by the police.
One of my best friends went thru hell with his brother who was diagnosed as schizophrenic.............the brother was a combat Vietnam vet, a graduate of the University of Michigan and a successful businessman when he was beset by the illness......
His schizophrenia ultimately caused him to die from cancer 3 years ago when he refused treatment from his attending doctors......