Recordpub.com - Ravenna standoff was 'blown out of proportion' Wife: Jail not right place for husband

By Colin McEwen
Record-Courier staff writer
The wife of a Ravenna man who is accused of inducing panic during a nearly three-hour standoff in Ravenna Tuesday says police blew her husband's call for help out of proportion.
Aaron McHenry appeared for arraignment via video from the Portage County jail on Wednesday.
Portage County Municipal Court Judge Barbara Watson set his bond at $25,000. The pre-trial was set for Aug. 22.
The standoff began when police received a call around 4 p.m. Tuesday about a man threatening suicide at the Woodgate Apartments, located off North Freedom Street on Woodgate Boulevard.
Just before 7 p.m., McHenry, 35, surrendered to members of law enforcement without incident.
His wife, Kristin McHenry, said Wednesday she isn't sure if jail is the right place for her husband to be, adding that he needs professional mental help.
"(Law enforcement officials) blew it out of proportion big time," she said. "I understand they have to do what they have to. I think they went about it all wrong."
Aaron McHenry called a mental health hotline, she said, and when they found out he had a gun, police showed up at their home.
"This is the first time he called for help, and this is what he got," she said. "He has been a little down in the dumps lately. We have been having some financial trouble."
More than 20 members of the Metro SWAT Unit responded with officers from the Portage County Sheriff's Office and Ravenna, Copley, Springfield, Norton, Brimfield and Richfield police departments.
Ravenna Police Chief Randall McCoy said that all the members of the negotiating team have received training with this type of situation, and this situation was handled correctly.
"If he had come out and talked with us, he probably would not have been arrested," he said. "We would have taken him to the hospital. He refused to talk with us, and there were weapons involved. That's when it becomes a tactical situation with the SWAT team."
McCoy said he was pleased the situation was resolved peacefully.
"I don't really know what set all this off," he said. "Obviously, there are issues, but fortunately he surrendered and we hope he'll get all the help he needs."
Kristin McHenry said she believes the SWAT team only escalated the situation, adding paranoia to her husband's state of mind.
"They are the ones who induced the panic, not him," she said. "He's had problems, but I knew he wouldn't kill himself, or hurt anybody else. It was a man who needed help, and when he called for it, they sent the SWAT team."

9.	Posted by tellnitlikeitis August 14, 2008
	PaPa13 thank you for your common sense. Their is obviously a lack of it on this forum. There was a man barricaded in an apartment with 3 firearms making threats of suicide. If he would have come out of the apartment when the first officers arrived Metro would not have been activated. And then it took them an hour to persuade him to come out of the apartment. Aaron called the helpline and told them he was having thoughts of suicide and had a firearm. The hotline was right to get this man help. After all that is what they are for. So lets fully understand the situation before we offer our two cents. Aaron could have come out of the apartment when only one officer was on scene. He is the one that escalated the situation to what it was. I think everyone did a great job.

8.	Posted by 11437711 August 14, 2008
	put yourself in his position. You're depressed you don't know what to do and you call a hot line. Your turn around and BAM you've got all these cops at your door. My first thought would be to tell them to just go away. But I think if someones on the edge this would certainly be the catalyst to push them off the cliff. And now this gentleman gets to have his "business" slewn all over the front page of the paper! God bless him and his family and I hope they get all the help they need.

5.	Posted by aircraft annie August 14, 2008
	We had a simular thing happen a few years ago in Stow my son had take a overdose of tylenol and I called for a ambulance and sure enough our front yard was full of cops and because my son would not go to the hospital they put a charge on him but sure didn't offer him any help it's all a money game to the cops and the court system God help us all we now have a dictatorship as big brother is taking care of us mabey we as the people of our great country will open our eyes and realize we have no control anymore!

3.	Posted by AndySwainey August 14, 2008
	Let's not be too harsh. This is probably how our emergency services were dispatched. The fire dept. was probably responding to a cat in the tree call and the paramedics were probably assisting the terrified owner. The police dept. was on a stakeout for graphic vandals at city park. The swat team got excited and overreacted because due to budget cuts, their drills have been limited to practice at the paint ball fields.......so... like little boys playing Army, they just had to respond and save the city from this extreme threat to society. I wish Mr. McHenry all the luck and hope that he receives the support he needs to get well. God Bless You!