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There is a guy that repeatedly sits out at a picnic table at night, and starts shouting for hours. The picnic table is in the middle of my apartment complex, directly next to the mailboxes, and right underneath my apartment. I don't know who he is, and I have seen him during the day. Once before, I (as well as at least 4 of my neighbors) called the police on him. They came out with 5 patrol cars and a K-9 unit, and they made him leave and that was that. He hadn't come out again for a while. Well, last night I came home from a weekend back in Sarasota. I didn't see him outside, and I checked my mail. Then I heard him. "I shot the sheriff but I did not shoot the deputy." He was shouting the words to the song, like he had done many times before. I quickly went up the stairs to my apartment, and locked the door. He watched me the whole time. Then, I could hear him on the stair, shouting "I'm a convicted felon, and I need a firearm very badly!" That was it. I tried calling the non emergency number for the police department, and there was no answer. I wasn't afraid of this man, but I had no idea what he would do, if anything. I'd never actually seen him move from the picnic table and mailbox area before. I glanced out my window, and saw him walking back toward the picnic table. For a few minutes, he was quiet. Then he started shouting again. This time, it was about being addicted to crack, and how he needed some now. I tried ignoring him, but he kept shouting. Finally, after about 10 minutes more shouting, and him going from topics such as hating George Bush back to actually singing "I shout the sheriff", I called 911. The operator said that she'd had one other call, and she would send someone out.
When the police car pulled in, I opened my back window and pointed him in the right direction. The way the complex is set up, all the doors face toward a lake, and you can't see it from the outside. The man was on the side of the lake. So, the officer went back and cuffed the man, and called for back up. The cop came up and talked to me after putting the man in the back of him car. As it turns out, the man lives in my building, on my floor, 3 doors down. The officer said if he ever does it again, to call and they'll come arrest him, but they were going to give him the last warning this time. The reason the were giving him so many warnings - he's a war veteran who now has a ton of mental issues. The officer said that they have no way to tell if he'll do more than shout, but not to take any chances, and not to confront him because that may cause him to become violent. Now isn't that just comforting?
I'm all for helping veterans, but this is a little extreme. It was after 11pm. Anyone else would be arrested for disturbing the peace!
