COVINGTON, Ky. — At the time of his arrest for assault and resisting an officer following a stabbing Tuesday, Kevin Giome — also known as Kevin Liwali — had an open case in Hamilton County Probate Court and had been under an outpatient mental health detention with Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health scheduled to continue through December 2023.
The latest mental health hold had been Giome's eighth in Hamilton County going back to 2009 according to court records.
Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said the case is indicative of a much larger mental health and public safety issue plaguing the greater Cincinnati region.
"The unfortunate thing is the way the law is set up right now, we're just waiting for them to make a victim out of an innocent citizen," Sanders said. "And someone is going to have to be injured before the law lets us do anything about it."
Sanders said lawmakers should expand the court's ability to hold people with mental health issues who may pose a risk to themselves or others until proper treatment can be provided.
He said a new Kentucky law that allows a judge to hold particularly dangerous individuals has been a good start, but additional mental health resources are needed in Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio.
"Unless they seriously injure or kill someone, we can't lock them down and get them the treatment they need," Sanders said. "By then, it's too late."
Rich Palmer, Mental Health America's community outreach coordinator, said people can avoid the system entirely if they acknowledge they or a loved one needs help, and proper action is taken before the legal system is involved.
"The best approach is early intervention," Palmer said. "We find that people take time. They wait. There's a lot of stigma. They don't reach out for many reasons."
Palmer said the best way to get immediate help is to call 988, the country's mental health crisis hotline.
The line can connect people with crisis intervention or help connect with more long-term resources in the region.
"If it's not working, check another source," he said. "Don't give up."
Palmer also pointed to Mental Health America's confidential website where people can check on their own mental health and find appropriate responses.
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