I supervise Officer Darrell Jackson, and I was present when officers were dispatched to a Grant-Blackford Mental Health Facility for a patient that was creating a disturbance and threatening staff. Upon officer arrival, contact was made with the subject and officers attempted to take him into custody on an Immediate Detention Order because he was a danger to himself and others. The subject resisted and drew a long-handled steak knife from his pocket. The subject held the knife to his throat, and refused to comply with officers’ repeated requests to drop the knife. Officer Jackson deployed his electronic weapon (Taser), and the subject went to the ground after being struck with the probes from the Taser. The subject then sat up and began stabbing himself in the neck. Officer Jackson then rushed to the subject and wrestled him to the ground, and pinned his arm down so that he could not stab himself any further. Other officers were able to get the knife away from the subject while Officer Jackson held him to the ground, and he was eventually handcuffed. The subject was then flown by helicopter to Lutheran Hospital in Ft. Wayne for treatment of his injuries.
Officer Jackson performed heroically while faced with an armed, mental subject and put his own life on the line to prevent the subject from hurting himself further or hurting an officer. Officer Jackson should be commended for his actions.
Officer Jackson hired on with the Marion Police Department in 1999. He previously was a Police Officer in Louisiana, where he originally is from. Officer Jackson was a member of the Street Crimes Unit for four years and has served as a Patrol Officer on all three shifts.
Submitted by:
John Kauffman, Captain
Patrol Division, Marion Police Department