NCIS ACTRESS, PAULEY PERRETTE WAS ASSAULTED BY A HOMELESS MAN
WITH A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE NEAR HER HOLLYWOOD HOME.
ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE ACTRESS BEST KNOWN FOR HER
ROLE ON THE TV SERIES NCIS SAYS THAT SHE WAS ATTACKED BY A
VERY PSYCHOTIC HOMELESS MAN NEAR HER HOME ON THURSDAY IN AN
INCIDENT THAT SHE DESCRIBED ON TWITTER, "HE GRABBED ME SO
FORCIBLY, PINNED MY ARM, PUNCHED ME IN THE NOSE, THEN HE TOLD
ME HE WAS GOING TO KILL ME."
HE IS DAVID MERCK, AND WAS TAKEN
INTO CUSTODY ON SUSPICION
OF FELONY BATTERY.
THIS STORY IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST
UNSURPRISING THING I HAVE HEARD IN THIS AREA OF LOS ANGELES.
>> I NOT RICH AND I DON'T LIVE IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS, BUT
I LIVE NEAR IT.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE STREETS RIGHT NOW WHO
HAVE SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS ASTRONOMICAL.
YOU CAN'T GO HALF A BLOCK WITHOUT SEEING AT LEAST A FEW.
THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE, THEY APPROACH YOU.
THERE WAS ONE TIME WHEN THERE WAS A GUY WITH A BELT THAT
WAS SPINNING IT AROUND AND WAS APPROACHING ME AS I WAS RUNNING.
THIS IS BECOMING A HUGE PROBLEM IN LOS ANGELES.
THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
>> IN THIS CASE IT'S DEFINITELY A HOMELESS PERSON?
>> YES.
>> SO, LOS ANGELES IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
THE ICEBERG IS SAN FRANCISCO.
ANYTIME YOU GO TO SAN FRANCISCO, THERE ARE HOMELESS
EVERYWHERE, CLEARLY MENTALLY ILL, TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
HERE IS MY SENSE OF THIS, WE CAN'T JUST DO THINGS LIKE
WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
HATE ME IF I'M BEING TOO HARSH, OH, LIVE AND LET LIVE, WE
DON'T WANT TO BE TOO HARSH ON THE HOMELESS.
THE CONSERVATIVE ANSWER IN A LOT OF PLACES IS LET'S GO BEAT
THEM DOWN.
THEY ARE MENTALLY ILL, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO INTIMIDATE THEM.
CAN WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SANE POLICY.
THAT WOULD INVOLVE SPENDING MONEY.
AND IT WOULD ALSO INVOLVE TAKING AWAY SOME FREEDOMS.
THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT THIS.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME PROCESS BY WHICH WE DECIDE IF SOMEONE
IS MENTALLY ILL OR NOT.
IF THEY AREN'T WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM SHELTER AND
RESOURCES AND NOT LET THEM ROAM THE STREETS FOR THEIR GOOD
AND OUR GOOD.
>> IF A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL HAS DECIDED
THAT THEY ARE NOT DANGEROUS, THAN I WOULD LIKE THEM LET GO.
>>BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE NOT DANGEROUS.
>> BUT SOME ARE.
>> OF COURSE, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE HOMELESS
POPULATION IN LA, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SPECIFICALLY,
AUTHORITIES SAY THAT HE HAD A VERY LONG RAP SHEET.
HE PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS.
THIS GUY HAS A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, HE IS HOMELESS,
AND WE DO WHAT WE ALWAYS DO WITH PEOPLE IN THESE CONDITIONS.
WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE THEY NEED, AND
THEY ARE DANGEROUS.
THEY ARE NOT IN THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND.
THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER SOLUTION.
>> IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE THERE DOES.
IT IS A TOUGH CALL.
MAYBE IF WE MADE THE SHELTERS SUPER NICE AND THEY GOT
SOME PREMIUM CHANNELS MAYBE PEOPLE WOULD STAY.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART THEY DON'T WANT TO BE THERE.
HOMELESS PEOPLE FREQUENTLY DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THE SHELTERS
THAT WE HAVE SET UP FOR THEM.
>> I LIVE IN NEW YORK AND I HAVE LIVED THERE SINCE 87.
THERE ARE A FEW HOMELESS GUYS THAT I HAVE KNOWN FOR AT LEAST
15 YEARS.
I KNOW THEM ON A
FIRST NAME BASIS.
PEOPLE WONDER WHY I AM FRIENDLY WITH THE HOMELESS PEOPLE
THAT I KNOW IN NEW YORK.
THEY ARE PEOPLE AND A LOT OF THEM DO NEED CARE.
IN THE 70S OR 80S
A LOT OF MENTAL INSTITUTIONS WERE SHUT DOWN IN THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
POPULATION THAT IS GOING TO HAVE CERTAIN LEVELS OF MENTAL
ISSUES WHERE THEY MIGHT NEED FULL-TIME CARE.
THE HOMELESS GUYS I KNOW IN NEW YORK, THEY DON'T STAY AT
THE SHELTERS BECAUSE THEY HATE THEM.
THEY WOULD RATHER SLEEP OUTSIDE OR TRY TO PANHANDLE AND
MAKE ENOUGH MONEY AND STAY IN A LOW-END SLEAZY HOTEL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
BUT I KNOW THE REPUBLICANS SAY MORE PRISONS.
>> THAT IS CLEARLY NOT THE ANSWER.
THERE ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE ON BAD TIMES, THEN THERE
IS THE MENTALLY ILL, THEN THERE ARE THE VIOLENTLY MENTALLY ILL.
THOSE REQUIRE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.
YOU CAN'T JUST GO BEAT THEM DOWN AND SAY PROBLEM SOLVED.
I THINK THE ANSWER IS
NOT THAT HARD.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT MAKING SHELTERS WITH PLUSH
CARPETING AND DIRECTV.
>> IF HOMELESS PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ENCORE THEY WON'T
STAY.
>> I AM TALKING ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT COPS HAVE
WHEN THEY GO TO DEAL WITH MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE.
THE ONLY GROUP IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS KILLED WHEN THEY ARE
UNARMED BY COPS MORE THAN BLACK PEOPLE ARE THE MENTALLY ILL.
WHEN COPS DEAL WITH THEM THEY WON'T LISTEN TO ORDERS, AND
WHAT DO COPS HATE?
THEN THEY SHOOT THEM DEAD.
IF YOU BROUGHT IN A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ñ
IF YOU'RE IN A BIG CITY LIKE LOS ANGELES OR SAN FRANCISCO,
CAN WE GET A FEW SO THEY CAN HELP THE COPS.
FOR THE SHELTERS, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT MAKING THEM
MANSIONS, I AM TALKING ABOUT HAVING SECURITY THERE.
SO LIKE THAT WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO A SHELTER THEY HAVE
PEACE OF MIND AND THEY WILL NOT GET ROBBED.
IF THEY THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO GET ROBBED IN THE
MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT, MAYBE THEY WOULD STAY IN THE SHELTER.
LOOK AT THAT, WE TREAT THEM LIKE HUMAN BEINGS, AND THEN WE
ARE NOT ATTACKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
>> I AM FOR IT, BUT IT IS A LOT
OF MONEY.