Three young Belleville police constables are being credited for turning a distressed retired military veteran’s life around.
At Thursday’s Police Services Board meeting Acting Chief Mike Callaghan described a letter written to the service from the military member
who admitted to suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome and being an alcoholic.
At one point he called 911 after feeling he should commit suicide with his wife ending up finishing the call.
Belleville police constables Greg Kendall, Kelsey Cailes, and Steven Genore responded.
In the letter the man said he was ready for a fight with police based on previous dealings with them in another area.
However, there was no fight. The officers calmed him and were polite and understanding throughout the encounter.
This quote is from the man’s letter, “What occurred was one of the most positive conversations I have had with a member of the public in a long time.”
Acting Chief Mike Callaghan said the officers showed that their training in dealing with incidents involving mental illness was working as they defused what could have been a volatile situation.
