RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia lawmaker whose son stabbed him before killing himself has settled a lawsuit over the young man’s mental health care.
The Roanoke Times reports that Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and his family will be paid $950,000 by the state’s risk management fund to settle their suit against Michael Gentry, a former mental health evaluator with the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board.
Deeds said his 24-year-old son, Gus, was improperly denied treatment after he tried to have his son committed. Gentry agreed he was a danger to himself or others, but the younger Deeds was able to return home and attack his father before shooting himself.
Reforms Deeds pushed for since include a law requiring such patients to be transported to a state hospital if space isn’t found elsewhere.
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Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com
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