NEWS

Man killed by Springfield police had mental illness, family says

Harrison Keegan
HKEEGAN@NEWS-LEADER.COM

The mother of a man shot and killed by Springfield police early Sunday morning said her son suffered from a mental illness, and she wonders if he was in crisis when officers opened fire on him at Silver Springs Park.

Jeannie Harper, the mother of James Lewis, is comforted by her son Tyrone Lewis on Monday, January 2, 2017. Harper's other son, James Lewis, was shot and killed by Springfield police early Sunday, January 1, 2017 after police say he refused to drop his gun.

Police say they shot James E. Lewis, 44, after Lewis displayed a handgun during a confrontation at the park. He later died at the hospital.

Lewis' mother, Jeannie Harper, told the News-Leader on Monday her son had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and she thinks his mental illness likely played a role in Sunday morning's events.

"He had a mental problem," Harper said. "My son was shot and killed. I don't think he deserved that."

Harper, who is a mental health nurse, said she was in Ohio visiting her other son when the shooting happened on Sunday, but the family was back in Springfield on Monday morning looking through old pictures of Lewis and wondering what happened just after 3:20 a.m. at Silver Springs Park.

James Lewis

Harper said the family hasn't heard much from police other than what is contained in a news release about the shooting: Officers were dispatched to the park in reference to a man — Lewis — who was armed with a gun and was threatening to kill his wife.

Lewis was non-compliant, and less-lethal weapons weren't effective. When Lewis brandished a handgun, officers opened fire, according to the police department.

Update: Man dies after being shot by police in north Springfield

Lewis' family members say he didn't have a wife, but he was going through a separation from his longtime girlfriend — something they believe could have triggered the symptoms of his mental illness.

Lewis' sister, Ann Lewis, said she was told by police it was James Lewis who called 911 on himself Sunday morning. She said it might have been a cry for help.

Ann Lewis, who also lives with mental illness, said one of her brother's biggest struggles was staying on his medication, since his paranoia would cause him to think the medication was bad.

Ann Lewis holds an old family photo of her brother James Lewis. James Lewis was shot and killed by Springfield police early Jan. 1, 2017, after police say he refused to drop his gun. The Lewis family says that James suffered from mental illness.

"Him living with mental illness and not taking his medicine led to a whole vicious cycle, a cycle of homelessness, a cycle of self-medication with street drugs, which in turn — when you have those things involved along with the symptoms of mental illness — is when you find yourself being in trouble with the law," Ann Lewis said.

A search of online court records shows James Lewis was charged in 2015 with misdemeanor domestic assault, property damage and violating an order of protection. The family said he was also hospitalized that year after trying to commit suicide.

When James Lewis was healthy, his brother Tyrone Lewis said, he was great to be around.

"If he was not having a triggered event with his schizophrenia, then he was the nicest, most approachable person to talk with," Tyrone Lewis said. "When he did have an episode, he could appear sometimes to be just not himself."

Tyrone Lewis said James Lewis was at his best when he was hanging out with his nieces and nephews and trying to teach them good habits.

In his younger days, James Lewis was a rapper who went by Ja-lil.

"He was always writing poetry, and he was very eloquent with putting words together," Tyrone Lewis said.

Tyrone Lewis said growing up he could always tell when James Lewis was having an episode and knew how to calm him down. He said he wonders if Springfield police had the necessary training to deal with his brother early Sunday morning.

"My first reaction is that he was probably having an episode," Tyrone Lewis said. "And usually in his episodes he is boastful and he says a lot of stuff, but it’s all bark. He doesn’t hurt people. I’m thinking, Why did they do this? What was going on?"

The News-Leader reported in September on the efforts made by the Springfield Police Department, and others in the community, to deal with people suffering from mental illness. The department reported at the time that about 20 percent of the force had gone through the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training, which teaches police officers how to better recognize and deal with mentally ill individuals.

From left, Ann Lewis, Jeannie Harper and Tyrone Lewis look through photographs of James Lewis on Monday, January 2, 2017. James Lewis was shot and killed by Springfield police early January 1, 2017 after police say he refused to drop his gun. The Lewis family says that James suffered from mental illness.

Police Chief Paul Williams also said at the time the department was requiring its new recruits to go through an 8-hour Mental Health First Aid training.

It's unclear whether the officers who shot James Lewis on Sunday had gone through CIT training.

Asked if she had a message for the Springfield community on Monday, Ann Lewis said it's time to address mental health problems.

"It’s something that really and truly needs to be talked about and put on the forefront in order to dispel the stigma that is associated with it," Ann Lewis said.

Harper, James Lewis' mother, said people with mental illness in Springfield are too often shuffled through the system.

Prosecutor says no charges for Republic officer who killed unarmed man; family stunned

"We need help for these people," Harper said. "A lot of them might be in jail, but that’s not going to help if you just put them in jail. They need treatment. We need more people involved in their care."

On Monday, Springfield police declined to answer further questions about the shooting, like whether there is any video of the shooting, how many officers fired shots, how many times James Lewis was shot and how much time passed between when officers arrived at the park and when shots were fired.

Police at the scene of an officer-involved shooting on Sunday, January 1, 2017.

James Lewis' family said they don't know why he would have been at Silver Springs Park in the middle of the night.

A man who lives near the park told the News-Leader on Sunday he believed he heard at least seven gunshots at about 3:30 a.m.

Several officers were in the area throughout the day Sunday working what appeared to be a large crime scene, covering most of the park and stretching over to the east side of National Avenue.

National Avenue was blocked throughout the day Sunday between Division Street and Webster Street as police investigated the scene.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-8477.