Dale shoots and kills one in Frisco City
Dale in custody after fatal Frisco City shooting
A shooting last Friday morning in Frisco City that caused the death of an innocent citizen, injured a sheriff's deputy and the shooter has drawn attention to the state's mental health system.
Charles Dale, who is also referred to as Rat, shot and killed a convenience store customer during an attempted car-jacking in front of the store on the west side of Bowden Street. During an exchange of gunfire with Dale, Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Lindsey injured his shoulder while trying to take cover. Dale was wounded and taken into custody. His wounds were not life threatening and he is being held in the Monroe County Detention Facility.
Monroe County Sheriff Tom Boatwright stated that the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (ADHM) failed Dale and the citizens of Monroe County by not treating Dale's condition with more urgency.
"It's not the fault of the doctors or nurses or therapists," Boatwright said, "It's the system."
Dale has been taken to mental facilities 16 times in the past five years, staying between five and seven days each time before being released, Boatwright said.
Boatwright added that in the past Dale had not been violent, but in the past year or so he had "become more aggressive toward law enforcement."
"Officers across the state are having to deal with this," Boatwright said. "Since our state hospitals closed there is nothing we can do for people with these types of problems."
The Journal reached out to the ADMH's State Commissioner Kimberly Boswell's office for comments. As of press time Wednesday, the commissioner had not responded.
According to information on the ADMH webpage, http://www.mh.alabama.gov, the process to admit someone to a mental health facility includes completing a Pre-admission Screening Resident Review (PASRR).
Until the PASRR is completed, mental health facilities cannot admit nor retain individuals with mental illness, intellectual disability or related conditions.
Locally, the Monroe County Probate Judge is charged with conducting hearings. The county's current judge is Sonya Stinson. She could not be reached for comments.
Recently, during a meeting of the South Alabama Gas Board Conecuh County Probate Judge Steve Fleming, who serves on the board, said the number of mental illness hearings in Conecuh County had doubled this year. He said he felt it's due to the reduction in mental health hospitals by the ADMH.
