Norman residents have called on the city council to increase mental health resources. Many knew Shannon Hanshett, owner of a local cookie business, personally. Hanshet’s friends have revealed they hope more is done for the city’s mental health. Plans pending. | MORE | Cleveland County Detention Center inmate dies after suffering medical emergency “Red Rock’s Griffin Campus has a 24/7 facility. They took me,” said Norman resident Sheri Gentry. A close friend of hers, saying her death was unnecessary. Hanshett, known as the “Queen of Cookies,” was the owner of Norman’s Cookie Her Cottage. On Tuesday, several people were asking the city council to give police more help in the future. “If our police need training, let’s train them. If they need backup, let’s put them back up,” Gentry said. “2023 started with her two deaths in the county jail in the last 30 days,” said Kate Bierman, her owner of the business and former city councilor. | MORE | Mental health patients’ beds were open during arrest of Norman ‘Cookie Queen’ Norman police said they were working on a program to route mental health calls directly to 988 staff. Cops may not have to answer mental health calls. Biermann said she knows Hanshet well. increase. Hanshett and Kathryn Milano both died in custody. Milano’s family issued a protection order against her because of her “severe mental health problems.” The mayor plans to join efforts to complete prison renovations that include mental health additions.
Norman residents have called on the city council to increase mental health resources.
Many of you personally knew Shannon Hanshett, owner of a local cookie business. Hanshett died last month in the Cleveland County Jail.
Hanshet’s friends have revealed that they hope more is done for the city’s mental health.
| | Details | Cleveland County Jail inmate dies after receiving emergency medical care
“The Griffin campus in Red Rock has a facility that’s open 24/7. She was easily taken there,” said Sheri Gentry, a Norman resident.
Some Norman residents called Hanshett a close friend and called her death unnecessary.
On Tuesday, several people were asking the city council to help the police more in the future.
“If our police need training, train them. If they need backup, put them back in,” Gentry said.
Police noted in her November arrest report that she was experiencing a mental health crisis before her death at the Cleveland County Jail on December 8.
“2023 started with two deaths in county custody in the last 30 days,” said business owner and former city councilor Kate Biermann.
| | Details | Beds for mental health patients were open during arrest of Norman ‘The Cookie Queen’
Norman Police said it was working on a program to route mental health calls directly to 988 staff. In some cases, cops may not be required to answer mental health calls.
Biermann said he knew Hanshet well.
“She grew Cookie Cottage alongside our coffee shop and made the leap from a cottage industry to a commercial establishment,” said Biermann.
She would like to see a mobile response unit for mental health in Norman. Hanshet and Kathryn Milano died in custody.
Milano’s family said they had issued a protective order against her because of her “severe mental health problems.”
Mayor Larry Heikkilla said this week that he doesn’t think a mobile response program is a good idea, that it’s not the city’s job, and that Cleveland County already has mental health resources.
The mayor plans to join efforts to complete prison renovations, including mental health additions.
