Press
Book Review: When Truth Lies: A Journey With Schizophrenia
February, 2012
By Doug Bradley, NAMI Information & Referral Assistant
This novel is an honest and at times raw description of living with schizophrenia. When Truth Lies, while a work of fiction, realistically portrays the onset of schizophrenia in a young man, the response of society to his behaviors, his often contentious relationship to the mental health system, and his long term coping with his illness.
Trying to Prevent the Next Killer Rampage
New York Times, Sept. 6, 2000
By Laurie Goodstein
Police in Ithaca, NY, team up with mental health specialists to halt rampage killings by deranged individuals, spurred by fatal stabbing of Inspector Michael A Padula by Deborah Stagg in 1996; collaboration is hailed by some policing experts, who say it is unmatched elsewhere in country because of focus on pre-empting problems in addition to responding to crises; even Ithaca police officers, initially cynical about approach, now say there has been steep decline in number of chronic callers tying up phone lines and time, and fewer untreated mentally ill people on streets; city has dared to move beyond ‘hands are tied’ response, emphasizing prevention and devoting police resources to following up on people with chronic problems who do not always want to accept help.
‘Puppy’ With Flowers and a Hammer Is Shot by Police
New York Times, Oct 21, 2001
By BEN DOBBIN
Ron Kessler walked along the suburban highway, clutching a bunch of wildflowers in one hand and a claw hammer in the other. As he went down an exit ramp, a car pulled up alongside. The young driver wondered if he needed a ride. “Get away from me!” Kessler barked, waving the hammer. Soon afterward, alerted to this encounter, two police officers in patrol cars appeared. Kessler, 42, who had recently stopped taking drugs to treat paranoid schizophrenia, at first ignored their orders and kept walking. Within two minutes, he lay dead on a lawn with five bullets in his chest, leg and wrist.
Stories from schizophrenics inspire novel
The Ithacan, December 15, 2011
By Kerry Tkacik
A man strolls happily down a back road near Ithaca, leading a large animal resembling a furry steer with pointed horns on a leash. He’s going home to open a petting zoo with his new friend.
Is history repeating itself with Ithaca’s police-mental health consumer collision?
Ithaca.com, November 26, 2011
By Dialynn Dwyer
On August 25th while filling out paperwork at the Citgo Station on West State Street, an Ithaca police officer was injured when a young man attacked him, grabbing the officer’s service weapon and firing a shot that grazed the officer’s leg. A back up officer shot the young man several times, and he later died of his injuries. The Tompkins County Grand Jury recently determined that the shooting of Shumway was justified.
