CLERMONT, Fla. – When Clermont police knocked on Robert Sever's door on March 22, they were greeted by gunfire.
Police said Sever mumbled something, then fired through his front door.
Glass shattered but officers were not hit. They retreated, calling SWAT to the scene.
The SWAT team came quickly and so did Clermont police's new Mobile Crisis Response Team. The team is because counselors assist SWAT negotiators at standoff scenes in real time and in person.
"I was on the phone with one of the individual officers who was there," said Kim Dougherty, supervisor of the Mobile Crisis Response Team and one of six therapists on the team. "I had been on the phone with the daughter of (Sever) so I was able to get quite a bit of good background that he was a Vietnam veteran and he had major PTSD."
Dougherty sat safely protected in the police department's armored tank -- officially known as the "Peacekeeper" -- parked in the line of fire in front of Sever's home.
She said Sever's daughter told her he was not taking his medication.
"So this is info I was able to give to the officer (negotiator). The officer said 'What should we say?' and I said, 'We don't want to push him, we want to (ask) him what has happened that has upset you, we are here to help you,'" Dougherty said. "He didn't want someone telling him what to do."
Doughtery relayed information and suggestions to SWAT negotiators in realtime that she believed would calm Sever and eventually make him surrender.
He did.
"That individual was taken into custody with no injuries and has since been receiving mental health therapy and doing very well," said Sgt. Malcolm Draper, police supervisor for the Mobile Crisis Response Team.
Draper said Sever is receiving treatment through Lifestream Behavioral Center in Leesburg as part of the team's intervention.
Draper said the team regularly responds to hostage or standoff situations and helps SWAT de-escalate the situation without the suspect hurting himself, a hostage or innocent people.
Aside from Dougherty, the other five therapists on the Mobile Crisis Response Team are counselors at Lifestream.