A Vincentian in the United States is calling for more to be done to help people with mental illnesses.{{more}}

Susan Mercury made the call in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, during which she spoke of the challenges being faced by her brother Louie, who was shot last week and is now a patient at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

For his part, Louie Mercury, 47, is wondering why he is always being shot, allegedly by police.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT from his bed at the male surgical ward at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Thomas explained what had taken place.

The man said on August 7, he went to the home of one Thelma Mofford of Dorsetshire Hill, where he said he usually helps with gardening and other chores.

Mercury said on a previous visit to Mofford’s home, the woman told him that she was travelling to the United States on vacation; she, however, did not give him the exact date when she was travelling.

The injured man said Mofford also told him that she was leaving two men at her house during the time she was away.

Upon his arrival at the house last Wednesday, Mercury said he noticed that the yard was untidy.

“I went and did some work in the yard because there were trees hanging over the house, so I cut them down and cleaned up around the yard…,” he explained.

He said one of the men whom Mofford told him would be staying at her house came out of the house and told him he was going to the mountains.

“I see them ain’t doing the work way she does really do… So I go inside the house and clean up the place…

“One old man was inside and when the other guy came back from mountain, he told me to go outside because he going to lock up the place. I ask he how he go do that; I cleaning up… Is like he ain’t been want me there no more,” he added.

Mercury said he remained at Mofford’s home that night and decided that he would leave the following day.

He said while there, a man whom he claims is Mofford’s brother, came to the house threatening to shoot him.

“I say way yo go shoot me fa? I say, well, come in the house and shoot me…

“Is me alone been in the house and I locked the door,” he said.

Mercury said when he looked out, he saw a large gathering of people outside of the house, equipped with cutlasses.

He said moments later, a blue jeep with a sign marked “police”, pulled up at the house.

“They (police) were telling me to come out, but they had guns. Dem start to fire shot and like break out the glass and they get to come in the house when I been behind the door and fire shot and hit me in my hip and under my arm,” Mercury explained.

Up to press time, the bullet in his arm had not been removed.

“I feel very bad. I mean I coulda leave the house, but I didn’t go there to do anything wrong. I just went to help out the woman.,” he said.

Mercury, who said he suffers from depression, and has been taken to the mental hospital for observation in the past, admitted that he has a criminal record of robbery and marijuana possession. He also told SEARCHLIGHT that he’s been shot by police on three prior occasions.

When SEARCHLIGHT contacted the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Inspector Franklin Williams said he does not know if it was the police who shot Mercury. He added that Mercury is under police watch at the hospital and is likely to be charged.

Meanwhile, Mercury’s sister, Susan, earlier this week, posted on Facebook that police had shot her brother in his own house. When SEARCHLIGHT spoke with her on Wednesday, she conceded that when she spoke with her brother, she realised that some of the information she had posted was inaccurate.

Susan, who lives in the United States, said her brother has been treated violently on numerous occasions by the police.

She said it is her brother’s depression which she believes leads him into trouble at times.

“I don’t want to wait until my brother ends up dead before I voice my opinion or say something in his defence. He has no family members there with him and there are people on the streets who constantly harass him and whenever he tries to defend himself, he has no voice. He is treated as a person of no value and that concerns me…,” she said.

She is also of the view that her brother is being targeted because of his mental illness. Susan said when she spoke with her brother, she questioned him as to why he was at the woman’s house.

“He told me they have a close relationship and she is one of the few people whom he trusts. He said he helps her with the gardening and things around the yard.”

Mercury said more needs to be done to treat people with depression and other mental illnesses.

“I fear for my brother’s safety. I feel like one day I am going to get a call and they are going to tell me my brother is dead.”(KW)