Employees at CrisisCare had called dispatchers to report a mental health situation and said Fraley may be coming down from a methamphetamine high.
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“Some of those comments made in multiple settings … seems indicative of someone who has intent to do themselves harm and in the process of doing so, perhaps do other people harm,” Biehl said, later adding: “The most difficult part of this — dealing with mental health populations — is when the person has already become violent or injured someone or taken a violent act against someone, those become very difficult to resolve without some force response.”
Video showed Fraley interacting with workers, but Biehl didn’t know what was said before a 911 call was placed.”We can’t even interview him,” a CrisisCare employee told a dispatcher. “He’s so agitated so we need the police to come and possibly take him to Grandview Hospital.”
A couple minutes after police arrived, officers Timothy R. Liddy and David J. Blackburn deployed their Tasers after Fraley lunged a first time. When Fraley nearly got one weapon on another effort, Liddy discharged his weapon.
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Biehl said criminal charges are being sought against Fraley for aggravated robbery and felonious assault on a police officer for lunging for firearms. Biehl said Fraley would be going to jail after his release from the hospital. Biehl said investigations into the incident and an internal review have been launched.
Liddy and Blackburn, both 17-year veterans sworn in Feb. 22, 2001, assisted with the initial investigation and then were placed on administrative leave per departmental policy
Neither of the West Dayton patrol officers have had any discipline, according to records provided by Dayton police. Liddy has four written commendations and two letters of appreciation including for apprehending armed and dangerous suspects.
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Blackburn has seven written commendations and one letter of appreciation and has crisis intervention training involving mental health situations.
“I think they showed incredible restraint,” Biehl said of the responding officers who tried a non-lethal solution first. “I can’t think of what else they could have done, quite honestly.”
Biehl said Fraley’s mother said her son has had issues with meth. The chief said he didn’t know why Fraley was in the Dayton area. Fraley has an extensive criminal history in Hancock County (Findlay) dating back to 1998. Fraley served four years for trafficking cocaine and marijuana and also had convictions for domestic violence, trespassing, assault, forgery, theft and receiving stolen property.
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