Date of Offense
Statement
I am submitting a formal complaint regarding the conduct of Rockford Police Officer Carlye Heitter during her response to a mental health crisis involving my mother, Deena Patterson, on 12/9/25.
I am submitting this based solely on my direct observations. I called 911 for crisis-assistance, explaining that my mother was experiencing a severe mental health episode and might become agitated if pushed. During the interaction, Officer Heitter displayed unprofessional and dismissive behavior, including eye-rolling, scoffing, and using an irritated tone when my family asked for clarification about the situation. Officer Heitter told my sister and me directly: “You’re lucky we aren’t charging her with anything.” At that time, we understood that no charges would be filed. After we left the hospital Officer Heitter had a verbal altercation over the phone with my sister regarding how she was speaking to us and her conduct. Following that exchange, At no point did Officer Heitter inform us that my mother was going to be charged. The family did not learn this until the following morning, when we were told by the hospital that my mother had been discharged around midnight, and had to later find out on our own that she had been taken to jail and charged. Based on the sequence of events, it appeared the decision to file charges was made after the interaction between Officer Heitter and my sister, and without notifying the family. I am not claiming to know the officer’s motivation only documenting the order in which events occurred. During the incident, my mother was transported barefoot and wearing only a nightgown despite freezing temperatures, snow, and ice. While I understand officer safety considerations, I am concerned about whether appropriate mental health crisis procedures were followed. At the hospital, a mental health nurse informed us that my mother would receive medication, a psychiatric evaluation, and likely admission. We later learned she was discharged shortly after arrival, with no family notification, and transported to jail.
I am requesting that this incident be reviewed for adherence to departmental policies regarding: Mental health crisis response, communication and professionalism, truthfulness when informing families about decisions, proper procedural handling of individuals in psychiatric distress. Thank you for reviewing this matter.
Sincerely,
Nat Patterson
{630-301-4538}
{[email protected]}
{638 Mose way, South Beloit, IL, 61080}
