Today I read this article in a local newspaper.
Dallas couple says bipolar neighbor is dangerous, violent

October 16, 2011 7:58 PM

Diane Turbyfill
Kenny and Melissa Brooks’ American dream turned into a nightmare when they say a bipolar neighbor turned violent.
One incident resulted in a gun versus knife battle, and the most recent weapon was a tractor.
Kenny Brooks left his career in law enforcement to run a private investigation company and live a calm country life. But, from the time they started marking the land to build, an older neighbor across the small street started acting strangely toward them.
“I got out of police work and moved out here in the middle of nowhere to get away from all that, then it’s right here 100 yards away,” he said.

Life on Burton Lake Road
Burton Lake Road’s sprawling hills just outside Dallas are dotted with farm scenes — horses, barns, silos and families.
The Dallas couple built their brick home on the hill amid family-owned property. Their immediate family expanded to include two children, ages 3 and 1, and two dogs.
Melissa Brooks’ father’s home can be seen from her front porch.
Their two big dogs have 4 acres on which to run.
But, as they began marking off land, the coupled notice a man across the street seemed to resent them.
Danny Burton, a distant relative of Melissa’s, pulled up property markers and burned signs, according to Kenny and Melissa Brooks. He stole lumber and trespassed repeatedly on their property, the couple said.
They pressed charges several times, but his odd behavior continued, they said.
Those small acts of malice gained momentum and viciousness until the two men came to blows a couple years ago.

Altercations with a neighbor
Burton lives alone in a mobile home across from the Brooks family. His deceased mother’s burned home sits a stone’s throw away.
When his mother was still living, Burton seemed to have a handle on his bipolar disorder, according to Kenny and Melissa Brooks.
His condition has deteriorated since he lost his mother, said Kenny Brooks, who called Burton a friendly guy when he’s on his medication.
Burton has acted aggressively toward several people in the neighborhood, but he seems to fixate on the Brooks family, the couple said.
The biggest shock came in July 2009 when Melissa Brooks had just gotten home from work with her son, Easton, in tow.
“He came up here talking off the wall. I asked him over and over to leave and things just end up escalating,” said Kenny Brooks. “He hit me with a stick and pulled up a bunch of trees in the yard. He pulled out a knife and told me he was going to kill me with it.”
Melissa Brooks panicked and ran into the garage with her little boy. Kenny Brooks said he continually told Burton to leave and ultimately shot the man to protect himself and his family.
Burton was hit in the leg.
Police were called, but neither man was charged. The shooting was ruled self-defense.

Coming to blows again
Since the first violent attack, things calmed down some between Burton and the Brooks family.
He would sometimes throw things at their dogs, they said, or make obscene hand gestures when passing by on the gravel road.
But the couple tried to adjust, building a fence around their property and planting buffer trees.
On Sept. 28, Kenny Brooks was mowing his grass when he saw an orange blur out of the corner of his eye. Burton was riding on a tractor and plowing through Brooks’ property fence, said Kenny Brooks.
Brooks was able to escape injury, but the seriousness of the situation prompted him to call police again.
Gaston County Police arrested Burton and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon, trespassing and injury to real property.
He remains in Gaston County Jail under a $25,000 bond.
His absence in the neighborhood has made for a peaceful couple of weeks, Melissa Brooks said.
They can leave the gate to their fence open, and their son can play outside. But they don’t have confidence that Burton will remain locked up.

Challenges of mental illness
Kenny Brooks worked as a police officer with Mount Holly and Gaston County between 1998 and 2006. He’s dealt with the challenges of mentally ill suspects, but he’s never had to defend his home. He wants Burton committed so that no one gets hurt any further.
“We’ve been in constant fear since I built this house. I’m not so much worried about me as I’m worried about my family when I’m not here,” said Brooks. “It’s a shame that I have to go outside with a gun in my pocket. Nobody should have to live like that.”
A relative attempted to have Burton involuntarily committed once, according to the couple. That attempt failed.
Committing someone to a mental institution without their permission requires several steps. It’s important to guard a person’s civil rights, according to Barbara Hallisey with Pathways of Gaston County.
“It is stripping the person of all sorts of civil liberties to have treatment forced on them,” she said.
And depending on a person’s mental state at the time of the evaluation, a doctor may not get a clear picture of someone’s condition, she said.
Bipolar disorder causes a person to experience extreme highs and lows. At the time of the highs, that person may feel invincible and create scenarios that do not exit.
The underlying issue Burton has with the Brooks is about property, according to Sgt. M.K. Shelor with Gaston County Police.
“That’s what fuels the trouble between those two,” said Shelor.
Burton thinks the Brooks are on property owned by his brother, said Shelor.
His animosity against the couple makes him dangerous and that should qualify him for involuntary commitment, Kenny Brooks said.
His police record should prove his deterioration, the couple said.
“They say he’s not a danger to himself or others, and I don’t know how else to show how he’s a danger,” said Kenny Brooks.
Shelor said Pathways often won’t commit someone who has pending criminal charges.

Unwinnable situation
Kenny and Melissa Brooks hate to stir up trouble in the family over the situation with Burton, but they’re beginning to feel their options are limited.
Burton has attacked Melissa Brooks’ father, she said, and she fears that someone will end up dead.
“He harasses everybody in the area, but mostly my husband,” she said. “I don’t know if he’s crazy or just mean.”
Weapons in his attacks have included a hammer, a crowbar, a knife and a tractor, according to Melissa Brooks.
The couple blames a failing system for the continued violence brought by Burton.
“The mental health system is failing. It’s broke. I don’t have an answer on how to fix it, and it’s not my job to figure out how to fix it,” Kenny Brooks said.
For now, Kenny and Melissa Brooks are relishing the time that Burton is spending in jail. And they’ve considered extreme measures to hold onto that peace, but they are trying to take a stand.
“We have considered moving but the economy is so bad there’s no way we could sell,” Kenny Brooks said. “Why should I have to move because this crazy guy thinks he owns this property?”