JOHNSON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark — In a touching Monday (June 21) Facebook post, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) detailed an event where deputies were able to deescalate a situation safely using crisis intervention training to help an autistic man and his parents in a moment they needed both assistance and compassion.
"Sometimes we get to help. That's what we always want to do. That's why we all became cops. Unfortunately, our job is something that causes people to be angry with us far more often than not," said the JCSO. "Even though we all got into this career to make a difference, the days of feeling like we're just spinning our wheels all seem to run together. Then there are days like today."
Dispatch received a call reporting two males and a female physically fighting on a road. The JCSO said the situation sounded bad based on the caller's description, and multiple units from multiple agencies responded to the scene.
Deputies arrived to discover two parents struggling with their autistic adult son who was having a severe physical response.
The parents were trying to take their son to get him help. He was fighting and hitting them, and they were trying to keep him from hurting himself or them.
Once JCSO deputies realized what was happening, they reverted to their crisis intervention training. The JCSO said Deputies Zane Johnson and Nancy Patton were able to communicate with the autistic man and successfully help him understand that they were there to help.
He was transported by EMS to the hospital, and Deputy Johnson rode with him to reassure him everything would be okay. The JCSO said the man's parents were extremely grateful for the efforts of the deputies, officers and EMTs.
"Today, we were able to help turn the tears of a mother into a smile. We were able to make a bad situation better," the JCSO said. "We were able to use our training for something other than just taking people to jail. It was a good day! Because sometimes we get to help."
