John moved to Poplar Bluff with his family in 2006. Around her 50th birthday, John’s mother developed some serious mental health issues. In her fear and confusion, she would hold a paring knife against John’s stomach. John’s mother can be very trusting and some people, including family, abused that trust. In her confusion, John’s mother can mistake attempts to protect with attempts to control her.
When this happens, she calls the police
The police will arrive and take John away in handcuffs. He is placed in jail for 24 hours then released with no charges. This cycle has been repeated six times.
During the sixth arrest, John became distraught. He cried out, “Shoot me or leave me alone!”
“Shoot me or leave me alone!”
This small act of defiance and desperation clearly angered someone.
John’s attempt to stop his mother’s screaming by briefly putting his hand over her mouth became “slapped and attempted to suffocate a family member.” John going in his room and closing the door became “locking himself in a room.” When an officer came in, John told them he had a gun on the bed, but never reached for it. This became “When officers arrived at the scene they learned he had weapons with him in the room. They eventually were able to subdue him with a taser.” John was arrested for second-degree assault and resisting arrest
Each time he was arrested, the local news published his name and the arrest.
The Poplar Bluff police even went so far as to accuse him of making terroristic threats while he was recovering from open heart surgery.
John’s story of long-term harassment is not unique in Butler County.
Who will be next?