[crazy24/7]

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?”

This article just perpetuates the stigma associated with mental illness. I wrote an e-mail to the reporter. Does anyone think I should write a letter to the editor?

[dragonfly2]

As much as I hate to see bipolar illuminated this way in the news, I don't see anything inflammatory or inaccurate in this article. The people affected have acknowledged that this isn't a character flaw and that something is amiss:

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.

The unfortunate truth lies in the fact that there are times when we are not well, due to various reasons that may or may not be in our control, and that some of us can become violent. I think the stigma comes in when it is only the negative aspects or times of illness that are highlighted, or when blanket statements about people with bipolar are made. There have been some success stories highlighted in the news, focusing on various celebrities and politicians who have successfully managed their illness. But there needs to be more of this, and less generalizing, in the media.

But this article? I think it's pretty accurate.

[roads]

My fault with the reporter would be that there's only the Brooks source for the bipolar history etc. We have no one commenting on the Brookses. No one is as pure & perfect as they come off in this article. There is bias here, even if it is unintentional.

[nacht]

I would like to see more POVs than the family here, definitely. There's a property dispute going on, that much is clear, and underlying animosity that can't be blamed on his illness.

[unaluna]

I have a friend who is in a similar situation. I know I sound like the one-up character on Saturday Night Live. A woman I worked with used to call me Columbo because like the lieutenant, I always had a cousin who did this or that. Anyway, this one person holds the neighbors hostage - in my friend's case, yes there IS more than one opinion in agreement against this person, the condo board is involved, and still the neighbors are in hell. I blame the Republicans. What else can you do?!

[zbmom]

I think the family has a right to be upset. The person's bp is affecting their quality of life as well. Just because we have a chemical imbalance doesn't mean we should be allowed to torment other people. It sounds like the guy needs some help or intervention at the very least. There are always extremes in every situation, this is obviously not representative of the spectrum of bp.

[heyitsryan]

The story is sad. His mother obviously had a positive effect on him, whether she reminded him to medicate, or just because they were close and their relationship was therapeutic for him. Nine times out of ten on that show "Hoarders," the hoarder will state that their hoarding was triggered or became out of control after the death of a parent. It's difficult for anyone suffering from any MI to deal w/ such a huge loss. I hope he gets help and the situation is resolved peacefully.

[crazy24/7]

Originally Posted by nacht

I would like to see more POVs than the family here, definitely. There's a property dispute going on, that much is clear, and underlying animosity that can't be blamed on his illness.

I think that is what is needed here...Burton's POV. I guess that is what triggered my outrage.

[dragonfly2]

Originally Posted by crazy24/7

I think that is what is needed here...Burton's POV. I guess that is what triggered my outrage.

Certainly there could be more to this story, and there may be an old land title or something out there that needs to be resolved. Unfortunately, Mr. Burton is going about it in an irrational manner, and that's what's drawn the media's attention.

[dragonfly2]

On the subject of stigma, I want to make a gentle observation. Now please, please, please don't take this the wrong way. I mean absolutely no offense....but have you thought about the way your username, "crazy24/7" might be taken by someone who doesn't understand bipolar disorder? Now, I don't know you, but I highly doubt you're someone people would consider "crazy", and even if you do have unwell periods that may remotely resemble insanity, I'm sure it's not "24/7". Like I said, please don't take it the wrong way...it's just food for thought.

And that brings up the question of how we conduct ourselves in the world, and how we may or may not be contributing to the stigma of mental illness.

There are definitely times when we get sick and the world sees us at our worst. But I'd like to think that there are other times when we're quite successful, even if it's just being nice to people at work, in our families, and throughout our daily interactions. Those are the stories we need to see more of. That's how we can slowly break through the stigma.

[nacht]

I feel a little sorry for both sides represented in this article, really. The family is obviously concerned for their own safety, for good reason, and it sounds like their neighbor is having issues dealing with his own loss in a rational way as well.

Originally Posted by dragonfly2

There are definitely times when we get sick and the world sees us at our worst. But I'd like to think that there are other times when we're quite successful, even if it's just being nice to people at work, in our families, and throughout our daily interactions. Those are the stories we need to see more of. That's how we can slowly break through the stigma.

Very well put.

My parents had a bipolar neighbor across the street that used to scare them a little. Everyone thought he was weird and "crazy." He could be the nicest guy on earth (he regularly bought me and my sister gifts on impulse despite barely knowing us, like the time he brought me literally hundreds of dollars worth of Godiva chocolates for my birthday), but while manic he occasionally became violent. I remember him being arrested and then involuntarily hospitalized on multiple occasions, for assaulting his mother who lived with him. He'd come back, stay on meds a while, then he'd quit and the cycle would repeat itself.

That was one side of things.

Enter myself, diagnosed well after this pattern had been noted and established. My parents didn't believe it at first because this neighbor was their only real-life example. They tried to pass it off as "you must have a mild case" until the first time I ended up in the hospital, which put an end to that right quick. But at the same time I think it made them stop and think about the whole thing a little more carefully, that you can stigmatize someone or something very easily until it's in your life as well. They know me and they know my behavior. To them, I'm not "crazy" or violent (...well, that they know of *ahem*). I'm their daughter. It's helped quite a bit in the way of getting them to understand and recognize my situation, particularly with my mother who has this tendency to believe everything she hears on television. :P

I too think that it's irresponsible and misleading in showing only one side. In any issue there are at least 2 sides (frankly, usually more). What's that saying about any story sounding true till you hear the other side? That part's just plain bad journalism. It's also troubling that they attribute the whole problem, not only to a single party, but specifically to his BP. BP aside, there is a land ownership issue. The police themselves admit this:
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.
Kenny Brooks said. “Why should I have to move because this crazy guy thinks he owns this property?”

Why is it then that this very basic issue that initiated and fuels the behavior is not settled? It might or might not stop troubling behavior, but why are we to assume that the complaining party actually does own the property? Maybe he doesn't!

Thanks natch ("There's a property dispute going on, that much is clear, and underlying animosity that can't be blamed on his illness. " Italics mine) and roadrunner ("No one is as pure & perfect as they come off in this article.") In not investigating the underlying issue, all we're left with is what one man would like to solely blame it on.

I'm curious to know why the couple themselves admitted he was a nice guy when on meds but nonetheless are hell bent on having him involuntarily committed. Surely there is a middle way.

Not defending bad behavior, just saying that w/o balance it's too easy to get sensationalistic because people are so caught up in their prejudices that they don't notice damn sloppy journalism. Or even consider that there might also be troubling behavior by the "non MI" party. As it is, we're led to believe that BP is solely to blame, and if it weren't for BP, everything would be just dandy. Bet not. Perhaps Brooks adds fuel to the fire. Perhaps he has an agenda.

And btw, word to Brooks: He should look at his own delusional thinking. Country living is not an idyll. It's still the real world.

[crazy24/7]

Dragonfly2....no problem. My username is an attempt to make fun of myself. I hope I am not crazy 42/7. My meds would not be working!!

I don't see this article as stigmatizing either. This guy sounds like a complete nightmare and a clear danger to this family. Unfortunately, something tragic may end up being the only avenue through which any kind of help for this man can be enforced.