Jamesville, N.Y. — The mother of a 17-year-old shot and killed by police last week in Jamesville today detailed some of the efforts she made to get help for her son who had two mental health disorders.
Judson Albahm of Jamesville was fatally shot on March 4 by members of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, DeWitt police and New York State Police during a confrontation with the teen who was suffering a mental health crisis.
“We tried to find answers,” Judson’s mom, Carissa Albahm, said in a statement posted on Facebook, “but we couldn’t even find help to ask questions.”
Judson had been diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome by the time he was 8 years old, his mother said.
When Judson was young, Jamesville Elementary School pointed the family in the direction of services to help him with ODD and Asperger’s, she said.
But over the next eight years, Albahm said Judson’s “behaviors escalated without explanation” and she called those years some of the most difficult of her life. She described sometimes feeling “hopeless.”
When Judson would make progress, a new barrier would pop up and his progress “unraveled,” Albahm said.
Albahm described a revolving set of therapists and doctors.
In time, Judson was moved to BOCES from Jamesville-DeWitt High School, Albahm said.
“The constant referrals and phone calls stopped,” Albahm said, “but the effects of his mental health issues grew faster than we could keep up with.”
She repeatedly called the DeWitt Police Department when Judson was in distress or was struggling with his mental health, Albahm said.
“They knew Judson, but they didn’t know how to help him either,” Albahm said.
Judson Albahm, 17, was shot and killed by police officers in Jamesville. Here he poses in a police officer costume when he was younger.
When Albahm was younger, he loved to dress up in a police uniform, though he eventually became scared of them, his mother said.
At about 12:30 p.m. last Thursday, Albahm called police when Albahm drove a white Ford Fusion from their house on Apulia Road.
At the time, mental health care workers from St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program were at the Albahm’s house, according to sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Jon Seeber.
About an hour later, Judson was shot multiple times by four officers from three agencies after police say he pointed what appeared to be a gun at them. It turned out the gun was an airgun, a type of BB-gun designed to look like a handgun.
Albahm believes what happened to Judson could have happened to anyone, though she doesn’t want his death to have been in vain.
“I want everyone to know our story and I want that helpless mother to keep pushing to find answers and a better way,” Albahm said.
Carissa Albahm’s full statement:
Judson is my first born son. My baby. He was perfect. As a baby, he was wild and free. Always ahead of his time, he kept us on our toes. By the time he was 8 years old, we knew our baby was very different, and since we were such young parents, we had very little idea of what to do. Jamesville Elementary School was amazing for us and they helped guide us to some answers. It was Asburgers and Oppositional Defiance Disorder. I felt sick. I had absolutely no idea what to do next. In many ways, I wish I didn’t even find out a diagnosis because the next 8 years would be some of the most difficult years of our lives. His behaviors escalated without explanation, and we were now experiencing what sometimes felt hopeless. By middle school it was hard to get Judson to do be normal like he so badly wanted. My baby was tormented by all of this in ways that nobody could explain. We tried to find answers, but we couldn’t even find help to ask questions. Everything started to be a revolving door of confusion and frustration. Just as soon as Judson started to make progress with managing his challenges was just as soon as a new barrier popped up and all his progress unraveled. Judson couldn’t get settled into any of the supports we were actually able to find for him because the therapists and doctors always changed. Although we were all doing our best to provide him the resources and supports, it was just not enough to make a difference. Sadly, my son was labeled as a problem and too much for JD to handle anymore, so the alternative became BOCES. Surely the constant referrals and phone calls stopped, but the effects of his mental health issues grew faster than we could keep up with. Having to deal with law enforcement took a toll on our family, as well as Dewitt Police Department. They knew my son well, as he had frequent contacts, whenever he was in distress or experiencing a mental health breakdown. They knew Judson, but they didn’t know how to help him either. When he was a little boy, his favorite thing to do was put on his uniform and be a cop. Eventually he became scared of them. How sad. As a mother, I was shamed for not having control. That broke my heart, but not as much as seeing my son struggle without the help he so badly needed. What happened to my son, Judson, could have been avoided. What happened to him could have happened to anyone. Maybe I could have done something more to help or maybe something different. Maybe it doesn’t even matter anymore because I know my baby finally has help and he has peace. But I don’t and neither does his father or his siblings or his friends and anyone that can relate to what this family has been through. His life was ended too soon, but it wasn’t in vain. I want everyone to know our story and I want that helpless mother to keep pushing to find answers and a better way. Right now my family just wants to find peace and try to make sense of what happened. Please respect our wishes and privacy. I just want #JusticeForJudson.
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