Another Failure of Deinstitutionalization

The police are treating this as a self-defense shooting--and by the newspaper account, this guy had a history of violence and mental illness. So why is it more humane to have him out on the street, where he is a threat to others, and gets shot, instead of hospitalized? From the September 7, 2007 Gainesville [Georgia] Times:

A mentally disturbed man who authorities say approached a neighbor's home in a threatening manner was shot and critically wounded Thursday in South Hall County.

Authorities said David Klefforth, 20, had a history of violent criminal acts and suffered from unspecified mental health issues. Klefforth was in critical condition Thursday night at Grady Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Hall County Sheriff's Maj. Jeff Strickland said Klefforth and his parents had recently moved into a home behind the residence of Brian and Sandra Pannell, who live in the 5000 block of Blackberry Lane off McEver Road.

At about 8:10 a.m. Thursday, Klefforth approached the Pannells' home by walking up their driveway. The couple did not know him as a neighbor.

"They had never seen him before," Strickland said.

Sandra Pannell, who had just driven up to the house, saw the suspicious man and alerted her husband, who had her go inside the home while he came out with a small caliber handgun.

"He pointed the gun at (Klefforth) and ordered him to stop," Strickland said. Klefforth, who was unarmed, ignored the command and kept walking toward the front door of the home, Strickland said. After warning him several times, Brian Pannell fired one shot at the man's legs, which missed.

Strickland said Klefforth spoke to Pannell, though he declined to specify what was said.

"What put (Pannell) in fear of danger to his family is that (Klefforth) continued to make aggressive moves toward him after the first shot missed," Strickland said.

A second shot hit Klefforth in the abdomen, causing him to fall over.

Deputies and paramedics responded to the shooting scene within minutes and Klefforth was airlifted from a nearby industrial site off McEver Road.

As of Thursday night, Klefforth remained in "extremely critical" condition, Strickland said.

Pannell has not been charged with a crime. The case was forwarded to the office of Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh for review.

"That's a standard procedure in any shooting where self-defense is in play," Strickland said.