The Other McCain

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‘We Need to Do More for Mental Health,’ Says Woman Who Lived With Convict Whose Face Was Covered in Tattoos

Posted on | June 20, 2024 | 1 Comment

Say hello to Lemar Brandon Qualls and, while you’re at it, go ahead and say good-bye, because the late Mr. Qualls got thoroughly ventilated by Indianapolis police last month. The photo above was taken in January 2023 by prison officials in Michigan, about two months before Mr. Qualls was released after serving more than six years on a methamphetamine charge. His conviction on that charge was part of a 2016 plea bargain:

With sentencing guidelines of five-to-23 months, Hillsdale County Circuit Judge Michael R. Smith found numerous reasons to exceed the guidelines including Qualls’ extensive criminal past in Michigan and Indiana.
Qualls currently has an outstanding warrant out of Steuben County where he is wanted for a probation violation.
“You have never completed probation successfully,” Judge Smith said. “You sir need discipline, reformation and guidance.”
Imposing sentencing, Judge Smith ordered Qualls to serve three-to-10 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections with credit for 56 days served.
Pursuant to the plea bargain, charges of operating/maintaining a drug lab, possession of marijuana and felon in possession of a firearm were dismissed.

“Felon in possession of a firearm” is a very serious crime. Having that charge dismissed — and being allowed to plead guilty to simple possession of meth when, in fact, he was manufacturing meth — was quite a generous concession by the prosecutors, but it seems that the judge did not believe leniency toward Mr. Qualls was warranted, considering the “extensive” nature of his prior criminal history.

Mr. Qualls came to my attention because of my habit of watching the Police Activity channel on YouTube, which features video captured by police bodycams, dashcams, and surveillance cameras, usually made public because of an officer-involved shooting (OIS) incident.

Police body cameras were introduced with the idea of providing more “transparency” and “accountability” in the wake of claims about “systemic racism” made by self-proclaimed “social justice” activists. Watching a lot of Police Activity videos is a surefire cure for any illusions you might have had on this subject. In fact, most of the time, the title of the video is sufficient to make you say, “Of course.” For example, the video of Mr. Qualls’ fatal encounter is titled, “Indianapolis Police Shoot Man Who Pointed Gun at an Officer.” Of course! What else did you expect them to do? Point a gun at a cop, guess what happens next?

That video begins with recordings of 911 calls. The first caller says, “There’s a guy outside the facility waving a gun at people, saying that he’s a felon, and claiming that he will shoot people.” The second caller says, “There is an intruder. He’s a black male with tatoos, about probably five-eight, and he has a gun. He has put it in front of my face, and he clanked it up against a metal bar to let me know that it’s real. He is currently on my porch trying to, like, solicit electronics for sale, but he’s kind of, like, babbling all crazy stuff.” Yeah, that’s going to elicit a swift response.

Next we see doorbell camera footage. Mr. Qualls is sitting on the front porch with a pistol in his right hand, talking to himself: “You’re fine. You know me. I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t what I think it is. If I’m wrong, tell me, please.” The cop — Officer Ivan Flick — aims his gun: “Hands up! Hands up!” The caption on the video freeze-frame provided by the police department is rather succinct: “Mr. Qualls raised gun and pointed it at Officer Flick.” Say good-bye, Mr. Qualls.

The video was just released today, but the shooting happened May 2, at which time WXIN-TV interviewed a “friend” of the deceased felon, who explained that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) was very familiar with Mr. Qualls:

Erin Ireland lived with Qualls. She said IMPD and MCAT, which stands for Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams, had been called to their home several times this year.
Police reports show Qualls had been arrested three times since January for domestic incidents, but despite repeated arrests and trips to the hospital, Erin said Qualls never got the treatment he needed.
“The police have been over here so many times I bet the officer who shot him knew him,” said Ireland. . . .
Erin just wishes there were more resources to assist people with mental health issues.
“We need to do more for mental health. People aren’t bad people just because they’re sick. I wish there was a way to get them help because it’s been like impossible,” said Ireland.

Frankly, ma’am, I’m concerned about your mental health. Because where I come from, cohabiting with a convicted felon fresh out of prison . . . Well, some people might call that crazy. And how many times does your, uh, “friend” have to get arrested for domestic violence before you decide maybe he’s a bad person? Don’t even get me started on the face tattoo thing, but it seems to me that there is an inability (or unwillingness) to exercise proper judgment involved in this situation.

Nobody has even raised the question of how Mr. Qualls, a convicted felon, got hold of the .45 semiautomatic he was wielding before he got shot by the cops. Nor could I find any explanation of why, despite his criminal history, Mr. Qualls kept getting turned loose after being arrested in “domestic incidents.” My suspicion is that it’s because his “friend,” Ms. Ireland, refused to press charges for assault, which might have resulted in a return trip to prison for Mr. Qualls. Instead, he ends up roaming the street, babbling gibberish and waving a pistol around until he gets ventilated by the IMPD, because Crazy People Are Dangerous.



 

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Category: Crime, Indiana

Comments

One Response to “‘We Need to Do More for Mental Health,’ Says Woman Who Lived With Convict Whose Face Was Covered in Tattoos”

  1. Remember kids, if they look crazy……. | If You are Left you ain't Right
    June 21st, 2024 @ 8:36 am

    […] The Other McCain notes that sometimes dangerous IS written all over their face. […]