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Father of suspect shot by KPD blames mental health system
Posted By katie allison granju
The father of David Rudd, the suspect in the fatal Hooters restaurant shooting who was himself shot and killed by Knoxville police last night, spoke to WBIR reporters today. He describes a severely mentally ill young man whose family unsuccessfully struggled for years to get the care their son needed.
Some excerpts:
The father of the 25-year-old shot to death by Knoxville Police Sunday night says he’s sure officers did what they had to do.Instead of blaming officers, Charles Rudd of Sevierville feels his son David’s death is the result of a lack of affordable - or available - mental health care.
He says David suffered from severe bipolar disorder, as well as paranoid schizophrenia. He had been living on the streets for the past five years.
After the family moved back to East Tennessee in 1999, David Rudd was committed to Peninsula Hospital when he was 18 years-old, but only for three days. Two years ago, David spent another three days at Lakeshore Hospital.
“Three days,” his father says. “I guess he was suddenly cured and shown the door. It
takes months to get on medications, not days.
Charles’ brother in Florida had seen a news story about the shooting on TV and called. Both say they “just knew” from the suspect description that it was David. Family members alerted police to their concerns.
“I just feel terrible for the families involved with this,” Charles Rudd says. “I don’t know how they feel, but I have a pretty good idea.”
Rudd says he always thought he would hear that something happened to his son.
“I kept expecting a phone call that he’d be either hurt or killed on the street,” Rudd says. “I couldn’t make him seek help. Once they turn 18, it’s very difficult.”
Dec 31st, 2007
What a heartbreaking story. I feel awful for both of the families.