Family of man killed in SWAT incident says he was suffering from mental health crisis
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The sister of the suspect killed in a SWAT standoff in West El Paso last week said her brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was suffering from a mental health crisis.
“If you have a mentally ill person or a loved one, do not call the cops. No matter what you do,” said Olivia Mercado, sister of 27-year-old Martin Herrera.
Mercado said police killed Herrera on April 11 after responding to a shots fired call that triggered a SWAT situation at the 300 block of Sky View.
Police have not officially identified the man who was killed in the SWAT situation nor have they released any additional information after the initial media alerts that were sent out.
Suspect dies after officer-involved shooting during SWAT standoff in West El Paso
Herrera and his mother had just moved to El Paso 10 days before the incident. Mercado said they were looking for a fresh start and somewhere Herrera would feel safe and comfortable with his diagnosis. She said he was not on medication and their mother also did not push for continuous treatment since Herrera was an adult.
“He hadn’t been on medicine, and he didn’t like the way it made him feel. He didn’t believe he was sick. He thought that it was the cause of severe stress or like having a hard life. He wasn’t really aware that he was, like, really sick,” said Mercado.
She said her brother suffered from hallucinations, false beliefs, blackouts, memory loss and confusion. Mercado also told KTSM prior to the SWAT standoff, Herrera was having trouble sleeping and would stay awake to play violent video games.
KTSM reached out to Emergence Health Network for advice on how people can better help loved ones with mental health diagnoses. In a statement, Rhonda Russ, director of the Crisis Intervention Team at EHN, said:
“It is important for the family, when possible, to be involved with the treatment plan of their loved one and if possible, to meet with the doctors. Education and understanding a mental health diagnosis is important not only for the individual but for the family because then they become familiar with the baseline behavior of their family member and can recognize when that behavior is unsual”
“Medication is very helpful with a mental health diagnosis, but when someone is off their medication, they can ‘decompensate’ and it can lead to a crisis, and it may take a few days before symptoms begin to show,” said Russ.
Many of the symptoms Herrera displayed are signs EHN said people should look out for if they believe someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.
According to EHN, additional symptoms include:
Abnormally upbeat, or jumpy
Increased activity, energy, or agitation
Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria)
Unusual talkativeness
Racing thoughts
Distractibility
EHN said getting assistance from a mental health professional is the best way to support loved ones. The center provides 24-hour crisis services for anyone in distress. The clinic is located at 1601 East Yandell.
People can also call the 24-hour crisis hotline by dialing 988 or (915) 779-1800 to speak to a local EHN professional who can guide you through a crisis.
Mercado said she wishes things would have been handled differently in her brother’s case: “I would have called an ambulance. If was there, I would have run up there and jumped in front of the bullet. I would have done anything that I could to save my brother’s life, anything.”
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