(ANTIMEDIA) Hingham, MA — While the 24-hour news cycle has been dominated by reports of the unjust shooting of Justine Damond at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, another, less sensational story has gone largely unreported. The story is that of 26-year-old Austin Reeves of Hingham, MA.
The Boston Globe reported this week that on the evening of July 8, 2017, police received a call from Reeves’ ex-girlfriend asking them to do a wellness check on him because of a troubling phone conversation she had with him after he got off work. In that conversation, he allegedly became upset and mentioned something about a gun. Reeves and his girlfriend had broken up in June, and he had moved home to his parents’ house.
Before Austin Reeves made his way home, the Hingham police called his father, Russell, and asked if Austin had a gun on him. His father checked that all of his guns were locked up, which they were, but he was unable to check on the gun his son owned. Austin walked in the door before his father had the chance to look.
Austin was upset by the fact that the police had called but told his parents he didn’t want to talk about it and implied that if backed into a corner, he would commit suicide. According to his father, Austin said, “Don’t back me into a corner. Because I’ll make it go away in four seconds.” He then went up to his room and locked his door; he just wanted to be left alone. Distraught by this, Russell Reeves called the police shortly after 10 to ask for their help, while Austin’s mother pleaded with him through his closed door. Austin continued to indicate that he just wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, his wish would not be granted.
When the police showed up, they blocked off the area and removed Austin’s parents from their home despite their objections. The police claimed it was for their safety. The Globe reported:
“As more officers began arriving, police told Reeves and Harrison they had to leave the street. His mother felt discomfort to her core: Austin was here, and he needed her. The parents asked to stay, but police said no; this was protocol they had to follow. They led the couple — Harrison still in her bathrobe — on a roundabout exit route through surrounding yards. At one point, Reeves says, he started to run back, but an officer physically restrained him.”
Police also informed Austin’s parents that they had spoken with the ex-girlfriend again around11 pm and that she had informed them that Austin allegedly made a threat in a second conversation that took place after he returned home — that anyone who came upstairs would get hurt. His father also warned police that if they continued to push him, he would kill himself.
As time passed, more police showed up, leading his mother, Kate Harrison, to ask, “What are you doing? Is this really necessary?”
The Globe reported that a SWAT team continued to escalate the situation:
“And yet, more officers kept coming. Some wore camouflage and carried rifles. They set up bright lights to shine onto the house and drove a military-style vehicle into the backyard. Eventually, they broke seven upstairs windows so a mounted camera could look inside for Austin.”
The situation, which drew police personnel from multiple cities, eventually escalated to the point of Austin Reeves killing himself after a 10-hour standoff.
Russell believes it was the show of force that led to his son committing suicide. “He wasn’t a criminal. He didn’t have a hostage. This was a kid distressed about a girlfriend, and they turned it into a life-and-death situation,” he told the Globe.
Police have refused to comment on the incident because there is still an ongoing investigation.
The few reports on what happened indicate that the Hingham police had followed protocol, but given the outcome — and that it was seemingly little more than a young man distraught over a conversation with his recent ex-girlfriend — perhaps their protocol should be changed and each situation dealt with on an individual basis. A show of force to a person who is upset and not presently in a sound state of mind — let alone one who repeatedly insists he wants to be left alone — can escalate a situation and lead to them taking their life out of desperation. Had the police done things differently, Austin Reeves might still be alive today. Instead, we are left with another example of a show of unnecessary police force that ends in tragedy.
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