MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A violent attack on Mother’s Day weekend sparked questions about locking up people suffering from mental issues.
“I cry. I cry like it’s just — I’m thinking it’s a dream to me, but it’s not a dream,” Tammetha Roberts said.
It was hard for Roberts to come to grips with reality after a brutal attack in Southeast Memphis on Saturday.
“At that time I was afraid for my life,” she said.
Police said Carolyn Frazier slashed her chest after Frazier’s daughter ran to Roberts’ house for help.
Frazier has been arrested for similar incidents in the past.
“Solving the problem frankly is not an easy thing. Most of these problems are complex with people,” Kim Daugherty, with Shelby County Government, said.
Daugherty knows jail is not always the best place for mental consumers.
“My experience is that many people with mental health issues don’t do well in jail,” Daugherty said.
That was the reason why the county started a mental health court to address the problem, but the program does not help people facing violent charges.
Daugherty said, “When I see something like that I wonder ‘what interventions were offered to the person? What did we do to help them access these sorts of things?'”
The county has psychiatrists who treat patients in jail.
While being behind bars may not always be the best option, county leaders said public safety is a priority.
“If your parent, your momma — if they got health issues, mental issues, they need to go get some help,” Roberts said.
