GPD’s SWAT and NRT teams successfully resolve mental health crisis with armed subject
Press release from Gainesville Police Department
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On October 24, 2022, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) received information about an individual named James Galasso who was experiencing a mental health crisis. It was reported to us that he was in possession of firearms and a potential explosive device.
Numerous officers responded and surrounded the building at 1101 SE 15th Street. Special Response Groups, which included Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Negotiations Response Teams (NRT), responded to the scene. For their safety, the family members of Galasso residing in the apartment were contacted and evacuated from the apartment. Several attempts were made to contact the subject inside the apartment, but we were unable to reach him. Officers remained on scene for over 24 hours to make contact with Galasso and try to get his compliance.
On October 25, at approximately 11:03 a.m., the Negotiation Response Team was able to contact the subject via phone. Subsequently, he exited the apartment and surrendered. The subject was identified as James Galasso W/M 07/20/1970, who is a convicted felon. Galasso was placed under arrest and transported to GPD for interview by Detectives. No other subjects were located inside, but firearms and bomb-making materials were located inside the apartment. Galasso was subsequently charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of Bomb Making Materials and Child Endangerment.
We would like to thank the members of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Bomb team, who responded to assist with clearing the location for incendiary devices. We would like to thank the members of the Gainesville Police Department for their proactive and diligent response in safeguarding our City. We would also like to thank the citizens of Gainesville for their patience and cooperation during this incident.
Exact on the right path for mental health approach by our devoted, practiced and skilled law enforcement. Thank You!!!
Hmm. Perhaps Mr. Galasso would have benefitted from being Baker Acted (evaluated and stabilized for his mental health crisis) instead of, or at least prior to, his arrest. On the contrary, he’s thrown in jail without a mental health assessment, medication, and counseling/therapy. Now he can stew while in jail awaiting his likely prison sentence for his new felony – all without any psychological resolution. Way to go local LEO’s, he’s surely “on the right path for mental health approach by our devoted, practiced and skilled law enforcement.”
He could be faking it too. Take him to a richer county with more tax revenues.
I for one am glad the Police did an excellent job and got this CRIMINAL off the streets so he cannot add another victim to his list.
He will be evaluated at the jail by mental health counselors & likely jailed in a mental health pod. Kudos for not taking him to a receiving facility to be housed with voluntary and non-voluntary non-violent paitents.
He’ll get evaluated by the prison staff. They’ll put him on psych meds, which he’ll probably sell to other inmates so he can eat in the evening since they feed you your last meal of the day at 3:00 pm. Unfortunately for people like him it’s a revolving door.
Sounds like a BIG waste of resources!
Where’s the address, apt complex? Was it a taxpayer section 8 unit?
Why in the /)$& would that even matter? Rich, poor, old, young, white, black, purple and green all can have a mental health crisis and not all mental health crisis are created equal. I had one back in 2016 didn’t realize that my panic attacks and anxiety was so bad it pushed my bp to 218/134 I knew I was scared, I knew something was not right, I went to the er it took IV labetalol to bring my bp Down to 160/100. They sent me home and I was right back 4 hours later. They then told me I needed to check myself into a mental health facility because I was in crisis and the crisis was what was raising my bp. This was after giving strong meds to lower anxiety and seeing the effect of that medication. I had no idea that I was having a mental break. So not all mental health crisis look like this man’s did. But regardless to make it about a section 8 housing thing is just ludicrous. I’ve seen where several times on comments you have pushed an issue like this and I can see where your head is. And that is very sad and even sadder that you haven’t gotten help yourself for your issue.
What difference does it make this man had a mental breakdown considering I live out here and other residents that stays out here who pays taxes and work no one knew this guy had this kind of issues I pay taxes and work very hard and long hours along with a lot of residents out here whether it’s taxpayers residents there’s taxpayers out here that pays their way also mental health is mental health this white man worked every day long hours and you would never suspect that he will be making bombs you would never suspect that this man who went home worked hours took care of his family took care of his children will have a moment of breakdown mental health… It could have been have been any neighborhood mental health and having a crisis is nothing to joke about considering where you stay at the end of the day all the residents at that moment was no longer safe at the end of the day someone having a mental health crisis is nothing to worry about whether or not they stay and a high class rise apartments are low income based apartments your comment was very insensitive because what are you saying because it’s predominant black area that people don’t pay taxes that normal people can’t have a break down damn his record because no one out here would have thought I’m a million years this would have nore suspected him a lot of times we’re looking on the outside end at the end of the day this man needs help who knows that working the hours that he work what kind of pressure he has is being a taxpayer trying to reform his life will be living out here where there are children forget tax paying what about all the children and families out here that work hard everyday that was subject to being blowed the f****** environment has nothing to do with it there were children and families and women and men and elderly people that will no longer safe because someone had a mental breakdown people have those that’s why they have PTSD you have bipolar syndrome you never know what someone’s breaking point is you never know what someone stresser is hell it could have been you you could be the next Unabomber and you could be living in the best neighborhood there is making best money income has nothing to do with it I’ve seen so many rich people lose their mind off their whole family’s all because they didn’t get the raise they wanted environment and paying taxes has nothing to do with the mental health has nothing to do with other people being in danger if this man and the police officers did not handle it that way they did I’m actually proud for once of GPD and ASO because how they handled it it could have went totally different it could have been a whole lot of families and children in danger including his own so why I continue to pay my taxes maybe you need to use some of your tax money to do research on mental health have a blessed day