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By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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A Plea for Help, A Life Lost
The story of Dontae Melton Junior is a heartbreaking account of a young Black man seeking help during a mental health crisis, only to die hours later while in police custody. On Tuesday, June 24, at approximately 9:40 p.m., Dontae Melton, who was 31 years old, approached a Baltimore City Police officer. The officer was stopped at a traffic light in a marked police cruiser at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road (wmar2news.com; thebaltimorebanner.com).
The officer reported that Melton was “pulling on my doors asking for help” and appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis. He was repeatedly walking into the middle of the street (wmar2news.com; thebaltimorebanner.com). The officer attempted to restrain Melton for his own safety. When additional officers arrived, they placed him in handcuffs and leg restraints (wmar2news.com; thebaltimorebanner.com). Tragically, while awaiting medical assistance, Melton became unresponsive (wmar2news.com; cbsnews.com). He was pronounced dead shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25 (foxbaltimore.com).
System Failures and Delays
A critical aspect of Dontae Melton Junior’s death involves significant delays and issues with emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch. Officers called for emergency medical services to respond, but dispatch audio revealed a major problem. Baltimore’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, which maintains a line between police and fire units, went down during Melton’s crisis for eight minutes (foxbaltimore.com). This system failure appears to have prevented a medic from arriving (baltimorebeat.com).
Medics had still not arrived to help the man by 10:30 p.m., more than 45 minutes after the initial encounter. Consequently, officers made the decision to transport him to a local hospital in a police cruiser themselves (foxbaltimore.com). The exact events during the eight minutes the CAD system was down remain unclear from dispatch audio and the initial investigation (baltimorebeat.com). Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott is investigating what happened when the dispatch system failed during Melton’s crisis and whether any backup systems were used (baltimorebeat.com).
Impact of CAD System Failure
Baltimore’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, vital for police and fire communication, failed for eight minutes during Dontae Melton Jr.’s crisis.
The system failure appeared to prevent medics from receiving the call and arriving on scene, leading to significant delays in medical assistance.
Due to the prolonged delay, officers transported Melton to the hospital themselves in a police cruiser, rather than waiting for EMS.
A Mother’s Fight for Her Son
Dontae Melton Junior’s mother, Eleshia Goode, had been actively seeking help for her son’s mental health struggles long before this tragic incident. Melton was grappling with seizures and a mood disorder, which led him to use drugs to self-medicate. He had checked himself into rehab seven times over the past decade (baltimorebeat.com). Goode, a licensed clinician, observed her son’s behavior worsening shortly before his death.
Just one day before Dontae died, Eleshia Goode filed a protective order. Her intention was to notify police about her son’s mental health issues (baltimorebeat.com). However, a judge denied the petition due to Melton’s substance abuse issues (baltimorebeat.com). Goode pleaded with the court, stating, “this time is different, my son is not himself and needs help” (baltimorebeat.com). She expressed profound frustration about the CAD system failure and the delay in medics arriving, questioning why there was not a backup system or a direct phone call (baltimorebeat.com). Goode is demanding answers about the many missing pieces of information regarding the incident. These include what happened during the eight minutes the CAD system was down, when he went to the hospital, his condition upon arrival, and the official cause of death (baltimorebeat.com). She firmly believes the system failed her son (baltimorebeat.com).
The Investigation and Broader Context
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is currently investigating Dontae Melton Junior’s death. This investigation is being conducted by the Independent Investigations Division (IID) (wmar2news.com; thebaltimorebanner.com). This incident marks the third death in approximately two weeks involving Baltimore police (cbsnews.com). The IID has stated they will release body camera footage of the incident, along with the names of the involved officers, in accordance with the policies of the Baltimore Police Department and the IID (foxbaltimore.com). Typically, the attorney general’s office releases body-worn camera footage within 20 business days (baltimoresun.com).
The Attorney General’s Office is also looking into who took security camera footage from the scene (baltimorebeat.com). The cause of death for Dontae Melton Junior has not yet been publicly released by authorities (foxbaltimore.com). The IID encourages anyone with information about the incident, including cell phone or private surveillance video, to contact investigators at 410-576-7070 or by email at IID@oag.state.md.us (baltimoresun.com).
Key Events in Dontae Melton Jr.’s Final Hours
Police Response to Mental Health Crises
The standard procedures for police responding to mental health crises typically involve assessing the situation, employing de-escalation techniques, and potentially calling for specialized units or non-law enforcement resources. However, the provided information suggests that these procedures are not always followed, or officers may not request additional mental health training or non-law enforcement resources even when a person appears to be in a mental crisis (baltimoresun.com). For example, in a separate case involving a young woman with schizophrenia named Bolan, the Baltimore Police Department acknowledged that she appeared to be in a mental crisis. Yet, none of the six police officers who responded that afternoon requested an officer with additional mental health training, nor did they ask for non-law enforcement resources for people in crisis (baltimoresun.com).
A police spokesperson in the Bolan case stated that officers did not need to call the department’s specially trained Crisis Response Team because Bolan was “not physically combative” (baltimoresun.com). The spokesperson also claimed that non-police resources were inappropriate because Bolan was under arrest (baltimoresun.com). This highlights a concerning gap in how mental health crises are handled by law enforcement. Furthermore, footage from another incident shows a man informing officers of a person’s mental health issues before police action was taken (thebaltimorebanner.com). These examples raise serious questions about the adequacy of current police protocols and training when encountering individuals experiencing mental health emergencies, especially within Black communities where such encounters can have disproportionately severe outcomes.
Gaps in Police Mental Health Response
In a case involving a person in mental crisis, six police officers responded.
Zero officers requested additional mental health training or non-law enforcement resources.
Police spokesperson stated Crisis Response Team not needed if person was “not physically combative.”
Deemed inappropriate if the individual was under arrest, even if in a mental health crisis.
The Unanswered Questions Persist
The tragic death of Dontae Melton Junior leaves many critical questions unanswered, particularly for his grieving family and the broader community. His mother, Eleshia Goode, continues to seek clarity on what exactly transpired during the crucial eight minutes when the CAD system was down. The initial investigation and dispatch audio have not provided these details, leaving a significant void in the timeline of events (baltimorebeat.com). This lack of information is especially concerning given that the system failure appeared to prevent a medic from arriving, potentially impacting the outcome of the situation.
Furthermore, the family seeks to understand the precise timeline of events from the moment Dontae approached the officer until his death. While some key times are known, a detailed, step-by-step sequence with exact timestamps remains elusive (cbsnews.com; baltimorebeat.com). Eleshia Goode’s perspective is clear: she believes the system failed her son (baltimorebeat.com). Her frustration stems from the lack of transparency and the perceived failures in the emergency response system. The ongoing investigation by the Independent Investigations Division of the Attorney General’s Office is expected to shed more light on these matters. The IID has promised to release body camera footage and the names of the involved officers (baltimorebeat.com). The Attorney General’s Office is also investigating who took security camera footage from the scene, adding another layer of complexity to the inquiry (baltimorebeat.com). Dontae Melton Junior leaves behind two children, a 13-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter, who also deserve answers regarding their father’s untimely death.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darius Spearman has been a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.
