The family of the Crozet shooter, Justin Barbour, said he was dealing with paranoia or schizophrenia, and his sister said they tried on multiple occasions to get him help. However, when responders arrived to their home, they didn’t see a man in crisis.
It’s not easy for people to know what to do when a family member is struggling with their mental health or in a suicidal crisis. It’s even more frightening for families when they know their loved one has ready access to means, particularly firearms.
What is the correct course of action? What can families do beyond dialing 911? That’s not an easy question to answer, unfortunately.
Region Ten Director of Community Relations Joanna Jennings told AFP that Barbour’s family is not alone in facing challenges related to when, where and how to get help.
“Navigating the crisis continuum of services can be a confusing process,” she said.
While calling 911 is one option, Jennings said other options include calling the local community services board emergency services to get a better understanding of options depending on a person’s situation. The 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline is another resource that is available by phone (call or text), she said.
Sister of Crozet shooter: ‘We were begging for help’
Barbour’s sister, Tekaiya, shared her frustration with the local police response on social media shortly after the February shooting at the Harris Teeter shopping center. The violent incident claimed three lives – Peter Martin, of Crozet, Diane Spangler, of Afton, and her brother, Justin, who died when an off-duty officer used his personal firearm to put an end to the random shooting.
Tekaiya wrote that the mental-health battles her brother was fighting “were beyond us.”
Like many, the family had tried to get Barbour help the only way they knew how – reaching out to police for assistance and begging officers to remove firearms from the home.
“Multiple times, we tried to get him the help that he needed,” Tekaiya said.
Authorities allegedly told the family that Barbour didn’t meet the requirements for an emergency custody order, or ECO.
She said they were told that “he seems fine.”
“The system failed my brother on multiple occasions. We were begging for help, and they just turned us away.”
Police: Barbour was calm, no indication of violence, self-harm
The Albemarle County Police Department confirmed that they responded to two mental-health related calls from Barbour’s family – one in December and one in January. Barbour had no criminal history.
In December, an officer responded, according to the news release from police. In January, Albemarle County’s Human Services Alternative Response Team, or HART, responded to his residence. The HART response model offers an opportunity for law enforcement, behavioral health providers and emergency services personnel to work together to respond, provide crisis support and provide follow-up navigation support.
“During these interactions with law enforcement, Barbour presented a calm demeanor,” the ACPD said in a news conference following the shooting.
“There was no indication or evidence of violence, threats or self-harm reported to police, which are the standard threshold to obtain an ECO or emergency substantial risk order.”.
Both times, police said they told the family the requirements and process for an ECO.
It is unknown if the family or Barbour directly received any follow-up after the two emergency calls from any of the HART co-responders.
Options for help: People ‘are struggling right now’
Jennings said that CSBs are mandated by the code of Virginia to provide services in the least restrictive setting possible.
Due to the growing need, CSBs, including Region Ten, have received state funding to develop crisis receiving centers.
“These are places where people who are experiencing a behavioral health emergency, instead of going to a hospital emergency room, could be diverted to the crisis receiving center where they are given access to resources and support in a safe and supportive environment,” Jennings said.
Most CSBs are struggling to provide 24/7 coverage for a variety of reasons, but the goal is to get there.
With divisive politics and instability throughout the nation, there is an overwhelming need for many to get help for one reason or another.
“We know that individuals and families across the lifespan are struggling right now, and one thing that I think we can all do is try to buffer the impacts of that for ourselves, our families and our communities,” she said.
Region Ten offers free courses to help the community be more informed when it comes to mental health. Courses cover mental health first aid (for adults and youth), community resilience that teaches people about mental health and trauma-informed care and REVIVE training to responds to an opioid overdose or fentanyl exposures.
“Our prevention team also has a program called Lock and Talk that provides free safe storage devices, including medication lock boxes and firearm trigger and cable locks, free of charge to help reduce suicide attempts and medication misuse,” Jennings said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and you need help navigating the system or understanding the jargon, you may call Region Ten emergency services for assistance at (434) 972-1800 or contact your local CSB.
Region Ten: The civil-commitment process
How can you help someone who does not want help, or is unwilling to agree to it? There are laws and procedures in place in Virginia to provide safety and access to appropriate treatment.
In Virginia, there is a three-step civil-commitment process, according to Region Ten.
If the answer to any of the questions is “no”, the person can agree to voluntary treatment or be discharged.
Emergency custody order (ECO)
- An ECO allows police to take someone from the community to a safe location for an evaluation to determine the next step. This is typically done at the UVA emergency department by Region Ten certified pre-screeners and UVA Medical Center staff.
- If a police officer believes a person is unsafe and meets the criteria for an ECO, they can initiate an ECO on the spot and take him/her to the emergency department.
- If someone believes a person is unsafe they can go to the nearest magistrate’s office, which is at 1610 Avon Street Extended in Charlottesville, where a magistrate will take testimony and issue an order if the criteria is met. Police would then be dispatched to find the person, serve the order and take them to the emergency department.
- If the evaluators find the only way to ensure safety is admission to the hospital, they will petition the magistrate for a temporary detention order.
Temporary detention order (TDO)
- A TDO order will admit the person for inpatient behavioral health treatment at UVA or another hospital.
- After approximately three days, during which the person undergoes a psychiatric assessment, a special justice hears evidence in a commitment hearing held at the admitting hospital.
Civil commitment
At the commitment hearing the special justice decides, based on evidence presented by the treating psychiatrist, an independent evaluator and a representative from the community service board, if the person meets legal criteria to remain in the hospital for ongoing treatment.
The legal criteria is always the same four questions:
- Is the person battling a mental illness?
- Are they or others at risk of harm because of that illness?
- Is hospitalization or treatment the only way to reduce that risk?
- Is the person unwilling or unable to agree to the treatment?
Related stories
- Police: Feb. 17 Crozet shooting incident lasted less than one minute, 28 rounds fired
- Crozet shooter: He was paranoid, schizophrenic, fighting his own mind, sister says
- Update: Three dead in Albemarle County parking-lot shooting; shooter ID’d
- Albemarle County: Two dead, one injured in shooting at Crozet shopping center
- Augusta County: After opposition, crisis center to look for alternate location
- Not in my backyard: Neighbors oppose mental health crisis center in Augusta County
- Location identified for $15M behavioral health facility, could be operational by 2027
- Regional mental health facility moving forward, ground-breaking likely in 2025
- Mental health crisis center has support; momentum stalled until location, funding secured
- VCSB working to respond to those in crisis; ease burden on hospitals, first responders
- Region’s suicide rates almost double state, national average; treatment options in the works
- Harrisonburg: A mental health crisis is among top five emergency calls to police
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Crystal Graham
