OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. — A violent night at an Owens Cross Roads Psychiatric Facility has pushed police to the breaking point. FOX54 told you earlier this week that officials are pulling the license for Pathway of Madison County, a facility for troubled teen girls.
The residential treatment center is located on Hamer road off of Highway 431. The city's chief of police said the facility has been there for decades. The building first served as a Christian school. Then, it became Three Springs, Sequel, and most recently.. Pathway of Madison County. FOX54 spoke with the chief about recent problems that led to the pending closure.
Monday, Owens Cross Roads Police Chief Jason Dobbins said things got bad. "We were actually there for a medical call for an unrelated incident. And as the officers were there, several of the females had somehow made it to the front and were being extremely loud and boisterous. The officers could hear them outside."
The officer on the scene needed help. So Madison County, New Hope, and the Huntsville Police Department were also called in to assist. "By the time they got there, the girls had already destroyed the entire building, busted out windows, destroyed the furniture, destroyed the computers, made access into locked offices. Just it was just pure chaos with those six females." This is also not their first time being called to the facility. "We've been over there. according to our call log, 26 times since June 1 for a numerous incidences, including psychiatric incidences, suicide threats, assaults, assaults on staff, assaults on each other."
Too much trouble, now the facility is shutting down. "We have spoke with the CEO of the company and we and he he is fully aware that October the first, we will be pulling their business license and we will not be granting any further business license to operate a behavioral facility over there any longer."
Dobbins understands, it's a tough situation. "I feel that DHR kind of has their hands tied. They're just troubled, troubled youth that need a lot more attention and a lot more help." The six facility residents who were the primary aggressors were taken to the Robert Anthony Davis Center downtown, and they've already had their first hearings.
The chief explained that those remaining at the Pathway Facility are still in the custody of DHR. DHR will have to find placement for them once the facility closes.