Reports of the New Jersey man who called 911 to declare that he "is the president and demands to speak to Tim Tebow," appeared to be quite comical on the surface, but the bizarre episode had the potential to be anything but a laughing matter.
Thankfully no one was injured, and this incident may serve as a warning sign of a man who may be suffering from a serious medical illness like schizophrenia or psychosis.
According to a Yahoo! Sports report, a Hopatcong man told police he was the president looking to speak to Tim Tebow, and officers found him hiding under pillows and clothes in his mom's closet.
"Jason Slater, 28, called 911 three times late June 10, refusing to give the dispatcher information each time," the report states. "Then he called the Hopatcong police department's main line, saying he was the president and that he wanted to talk with Tebow, the New York Jets' backup quarterback, police said."
In my view, this is clearly the case of a man who needs serious medical attention. Slater's episode had all the signs of an episode with psychosis, as he had false beliefs or delusions not based on reality, to go along with jumps between unrelated topics.
He had a delusion that he was the President of the United States, and then he jumped to a completely unrelated topic in sports when he demanded to speak to former Denver Broncos and current New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.
According to a Pub Med Health report, psychosis patients can harm themselves or others if their condition is left untreated. Luckily, officers were able to take the man into custody without a fight.
"Eventually he was taken in by police and charged with making false public alarms," Yahoo! adds in their report. "Upon his release, he threw his summons complaint to the ground. Officers warned him to pick it up, and he did, right before throwing it on the ground again outside of a Dunkin' Donuts."
Before we jump to the conclusion that Slater was purposely trying to create trouble and break the law, doctors should give him a thorough evaluation to diagnose his condition. Clearly, this is a man who isn't in a normal frame of mind.
Slater shouldn't be locked up or laughed at for his bizarre actions, as we don't know what he's suffering from. If it's a psychotic disorder, the condition can be treated with the right care, including anti-psychotic medications and psychotherapy.
If Slater was simply trying to make an ill-advised prank out of boredom, it seems unlikely that he would be found hiding in his mom's closet and showing disrespect towards police officers.
I believe this incident was a blessing in disguise, as it tipped officers and medical staff off to a man who may have been on the brink of being a danger to himself and others.
Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
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