A Jackson man came to the rescue of a man having a seizure outside of Admiral gas station. After that life saving move, he learned the man was suffering from mental illness. What he wasn't prepared for were the comments and harsh responses after posting about it on social media.
Randel Snell saw the man fall to the ground as he was driving past the gas station. He jumped out of the car to help him while he said many others were standing by.
"Well I was driving and I noticed the man fall over near the curb. I didn't know who he was and cars had passed him by..so I pulled into the admiral gas station and I got him up onto the grass. Right about then some employees from the gas station came out and started coming to his help", said Snell.
He felt it was just something he had to do. When he posted about it on Facebook he learned more about who this man is, a father, who suffers from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. He was stunned by just how cold some of the responses were.
"I know if I heard somebody talking like that it would make me very angry... I saw him as a human and I could see myself in the same position."
Posts such as, "He was a waste of time because he is hospitalized often," "he is a public health issue" and even as much as "he creates his own pain".
What bothered Snell more was many of the posts were by medics, police, and public officials who deal with mental health patients.
"The biggest message in my comments about everything was we need to do more to bring mental health awareness to the forefront instead of making it an afterthought," said Snell.
He said he takes it personally because he also dealt with mental illness and knows how hard it can be to get back on your feet.
"I believe that treating everybody the same way you want to be treated is the best way to live life. If I was put in the same situation again, I would do it without hesitation," said Snell.
Randel says the man's daughter did reach out to him to thank him. She says they've been trying to get him treatment for many years and even asked a judge to get him the help he needs so can finally be reunited with his family.
We did reach out to the local police agency, where one of the people who posted about the man works. The Police Chief says he doesn't know anything about the comments, but he will investigate. He would not elaborate on what the department's social media policy is.
