The firearm that a woman D.M. pulled on police officers on Monday as they were trying to arrest her.
COLE BAY--A woman D.M. pulled a gun on police officers after a high-speed chase ended at her home in Cole Bay on Monday. She is reportedly suffering from mental health issues.
Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop around 11:30am Monday on a driver who was driving recklessly. However, the driver refused to stop and took off, leading officers on a high-speed chase that ended at her Cole Bay home.
Determined not to be apprehended, the woman pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the police. The woman’s daughter came outside the home and told officers that her mother is not well, and has been suffering from a mental illness.
Officers disarmed the woman and confiscated the gun. No one was injured in the incident. M. was taken into police custody and has been treated by personnel of Mental Health Foundation (MHF). She has been incarcerated pending investigation into the firearm.
MHF and the St. Maarten Police Force KPSM signed a protocol on December 10, 2018, on how to handle criminal cases involving persons with mental illnesses.
“The number of cases such as these continues to rise and the need for some type of structure to deal with these situations is definitely a necessity. This protocol is to ensure the safety of these persons and to make sure that these persons get the proper treatment and care they need,” said police in a press release on Tuesday.
