Should something be done?

[Dendood]

My str8 bud has a friend he's known since grammar school. In their teens they got heavily into lifting and his friend supplied steroids for the guys to use. He has a history of mental health issues, with violent tendencies. He's been in and out of jail -and mental facilities- for assaulting people in bars, girlfriends and his mom.

He is 42 yrs. old. Lives at home with his mother, in her late 60's. She works to support him. He is mostly unable to interact in the real world. And on probation with the law. So my friend stops by for a visit and the guy shows him a stash of steroids, about $25k in street value. And then shows him a collection of weapons he's been collecting. Knives. (The serious kind... not your Martha Steward variety...) Cross bows. Strange razor devices. Tasers. -No guns. Yet. Although he mentions he's got his eye/ a contact for a few that he plans to add to the collection.

His probation does not allow him to have weapons. When my friend calmly said, "You may want to hide them well." The guy just SNAPPED and threatened him to within an inch of his life. It scared him enough that he won't go back for a visit.

Given the endless reports of mass killings, the question is what to do? If he calls the police (or I called ) and the guy suspects it was him, his life could be in danger. -Say nothing and there's the risk that someone might become a victim. I would definitely say he's crossed the line when he buys a gun. My friend doesn't want to visit him again to find out.

The guy really needs to be in institutionalized. But like many, many Americans they are left out in the world. I hope he doesn't go on a rampage while I'm visiting. I'd hate to be that innocent victim!

Should someone rat him out?

 

[slimjim]

Maybe a slight subterfuge is required.

Something like an anonymous phone call to the police saying..... a burglar has just been seen breaking into the premises... or screams and sounds of a violent struggle have been heard from inside the premises.... or some other reason to make the cops enter and have a look around. Of course if all the weaponry is well hidden it might not achieve the result you want and if he only has one near neighbour he's going to blame them for the 'phone call to the police... tricky.

 

[tonka]

No easy answer, of course. Maybe contacting someone who is required to report. (Mom's doctor?).

We had a recent high profile case here. A long term steroid user killed his girlfriend, in front of their child. The guy is the son of a retired baseball player, and current sports announcer. It turns out that all three of the baseball guys children have had multiple violent incidents. Dad always got this son out of his scrapes with the law. I'm sure he never expected anything major to happen...until it did.

 

[tonka]

I'm sorry you're in this spot, Dendood.
It totally sucks! Every choice you make will suck.
Do the best you can.

 

[theseeker]

Does it help if your friend told the cops he has been threatened before and that he feels his life might be under threat again if the guy in question catches wind of the report? So the cops might take extra precautions when handling his case, such as getting his probation officer to do a "spontaneous" house visit? I'm sorry if the suggestion seems stupid and naive, but that's probably what I might do (and probably get murdered for )

 

[tonka]

My experience with American police is that threats don't trigger anything.
Until the guy does something, the cops will be reluctant to intervene.
The illegal weapons, or Mom's safety might get more attention.

Or...if you know somebody. A report from a powerful or high visibility person often gets a better response.

 

[norvehc]

Yes, something should be done Dendood. You said he has violent tendencies, mental health issues and has been jailed for assault. Now he is collecting weapons and that is a violation of his parole conditions. That condition was applied for a reason, and he has broken it. Do you want to live in a society where people like him break the law and put other innocent lives at risk?
You say you hope he doesn't go on a rampage when you're visiting. You can stop that from ever happening (to anyone) with a simple anonymous phone call to the police. They're there to protect people from dangerous and disturbed people like this man, but they need your help to know about him.
Grab a phone and make that anonymous call right now.

 

[frontlemon]

I would take the following course: inform his mom first and with her help, clean out all the weapons and steroids that he has and destroy them. Be ready for a huge violent behavior when he finds out that all his stuffs are missing. The moment anything happens, inform the police that he is acting violently (but don't tell the police about the stuffs destroyed).