Rogers Co. sheriff shares how deputies handle mental health calls following recent standoff

ROGERS COUNTY, Okla. — FOX23 has new details on the chase and standoff on Highway 169 near Collinsville on Tuesday involving a man who was suffering from a mental health crisis following a breakup with his girlfriend.

Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton said most of the calls into his office these days have some sort of mental health component to them.

FOX23 spoke with the sheriff about how hard it is for law enforcement to handle these calls while trying to keep the person, the public and their deputies safe.

Walton said that they saw the best possible outcome from Tuesday's standoff, but calls like these make decisions for law enforcement hard.

"One of the toughest components, if not the toughest components of the law enforcement profession today, is the ability to deal with mental health issues. Because I mean, it's call after call after call,” Walton said.

Walton said that deputies receive extensive training on de-escalation and how to handle someone experiencing a mental health crisis, but he said no amount of training can prepare you for situations that become scary and escalate.

"The challenges that law enforcement have to make when they have to be made oh so quickly," Walton said.

On Tuesday, five different law enforcement agencies, including the Rogers County Sheriff's Office, responded to a well-being call along Highway 169 in Collinsville. The call quickly turned into a standoff with a potentially armed suspect.

Walton said the suspect, Donald Schnell, then drove down the wrong way on the highway and hit an OHP cruiser. Schnell then allegedly drove at a Tulsa County deputy who, in self-defense, fired shots towards Schnell.

Law enforcement fired pepper balls at the man and luckily everyone went home alive. Schnell was booked into the Rogers County jail for assault with a dangerous weapon and eluding police.

Walton said that law enforcement agencies sometimes walk a fine line when trying to save someone who is having a mental health crisis and protecting themselves and the community.

"We're often criticized by the fact that whatever we did escalated their emotions to cause them to do something stupid that got somebody hurt,” Walton said.

Walton said that Rogers County deputies have iPad’s that they take to mental health calls where people can speak with a mental health professional virtually.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, you can call 988 any time of the day.