Lawrence Phinehas Crain

How they died

Less-than-lethal force

Sergeant R. P. Wilkens responded to a Disturbance with a Mental Patient call. Upon arriving that the scene, Sgt. Wilkens observed the front door of the house to be open, and he could hear voices coming from the back. Sgt. Wilkens spoke with Mr. Rueven Sanders, stepfather of the decedent, Lawrence P. Crain B/M 31, who advised that the decedent was a mental patient and that his medication had recently been changed. Mr. Sanders stated that the decedent needed to go to the Neuropsychiatric Center (NPC) before he hurt himself or someone else. As Officers T. D. Richard and R. L. Raska arrived at the scene, Sgt. Wilkens was able to talk the decedent out of the house. As the decedent was exiting the house, he rubbed his hands across the chest of a female firefighter. Once outside the house, the responding officers were able to restrain the decedent without any resistance. The decedent was then placed into the patrol other of Officer Raska. Once inside the patrol other the decedent's actions again became aggressive. Officers Richard and Raska transported the decedent to the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Administration NPC so that an Emergency Commitment Order could be completed. While in the lobby of the center the decedent, still handcuffed, again became aggressive, and officers again had to subdue him. Once the decedent was subdued, a nurse administered two medications (Haldol and Ativan) to him. Officers then removed the handcuffs from the decedent and the medical staff took over treating the decedent. While treating the decedent, the medical staff noticed that he had ceased breathing. The decedent's vital signs never stabilized and at 8:19 a.m. he was pronounced dead.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Lawrence Phinehas Crain, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources