Family Of Standoff Suspect Upset With Handling Of Situation
Tulsa police talked a man out of killing himself Tuesday morning at an apartment complex. The man was upset with his girlfriend, and now his family is upset with police. They're upset because they
Tuesday, August 28th 2007, 10:02 pm
By: News On 6
Tulsa police talked a man out of killing himself Tuesday morning at an apartment complex. The man was upset with his girlfriend, and now his family is upset with police. They're upset because they say the police wouldn't let them talk with their distraught son. The News On 6’s Emory Bryan reports the standoff ended peacefully and Brian Reeves’ family is grateful for that, while hoping their son can get some help.
“Because we seen it coming, but guess what, it was too late,†said Brian Reeves’ father Emmert Griffin.
Emmert and Sherry Griffin say they knew their son, Brian, was close to the edge, but they do not believe he intended to hurt anyone. They say he has mental problems that started when someone attacked him with a baseball bat 10 years ago. Despite that, they say he's had a girlfriend for seven years and has three children.
“He's a very good daddy, a good daddy,†Brian’s mother Sherry Griffin said.
But they say his lifelong problem with depression got worse a couple of weeks ago.
"He needs mental help, he doesn't need to be in jail, he needs to be in Laureate or Vinita or something," said Reeves' parents.
Tuesday morning, Reeves was in a three hour standoff in a car at the Lewiston Apartments, police said. His parents drove up to find the police suiting up in armor. Police say Reeves had a gun to his head threatening suicide.
The Griffins are grateful the standoff ended without gunfire, but believe police could have defused the situation and ended it sooner by letting them talk with their son.
"If he would have waved the gun up, they have to protect themselves, I understand that, but I didn't like the way we was treated, the way she was treated, I think they should have let us see our son," Emmert Griffin said.
The police consider it a successful resolution because no one was hurt. Reeves’ parents hope their son won't sit in jail without getting mental and medical help, so when he gets out he won't be a threat to himself or anyone else.
Tulsa Police officer Leland Ashley said in the standoff Tuesday morning the police had to keep everyone back because the suspect had a gun and was unstable. Reeves is in the Tulsa County Jail, charged with assault for allegedly pointing the gun at his girlfriend before police arrived.