As I said: "you can be arrested." In this case it appears that the officers on the scene decided that his situation was more medical than criminal.
Do you believe schizophrenia is something that can be diagnosed from Facebook posts, yet would be missed by all of the people who actually know him in real life?
I would think that while it cannot be diagnosed from Facebook posts, it can be diagnosed by a 30 day psychiatric evaluation - which is what is happening now.
And, since do not have full statements "by all of the people who actually know him" we do not know if any potential mental illness was "missed" by them.
I would also point out that those closest to a mentally ill person are often the ones least willing to admit that there may be a problem.
It’s just as possible, and I’d say more likely, that he isn’t.
While it is possible that he has no problem, I'm not sure how you arrive at "more likely."
Even if he is, the government must follow the proper procedures if they want to institutionalize him or even send him for a mental evaluation, which they failed to do.
How have they "failed" exactly? What did they need to do that they did not do?
“I would also point out that those closest to a mentally ill person are often the ones least willing to admit that there may be a problem.”
Perhaps, but they are also more likely to actually spot symptoms than people who know him only through Facebook postings. They would know his normal behavior previous to to onset of the illness, and the contrast, in a case like schizophrenia would not usually be very subtle. It seems very unusual to me that, after his detention and the case becoming news, the media can’t find one person who actually knew him who says “He began acting strange a few years ago”, or “He was a loner”, etc. The media seems to always be able to dig up those witnesses within a day of any kind of story like this, when it is legitimate.
“While it is possible that he has no problem, I’m not sure how you arrive at “more likely.””
I say more likely, because mental illness that would rise to the level of requiring a forced mental evaluation by the state is rare, and not something that I think you would be likely to be able to spot simply from someone’s internet postings. Ordinary, sane people post so many seemingly deranged statements on the internet, if they actually managed to find a real crazy person in all that chaff, I would be pretty amazed.
“How have they “failed” exactly? What did they need to do that they did not do?”
This:
“The law requires that within four hours of detaining someone, you have to have a magistrate write a petition for a temporary restraining order,” said John Whitehead, an attorney with the Rutherford Institute, the Virginia-based civil rights firm that is defending the ex-Marine. “They didn’t do that. That didn’t happen.”