Local Kroger sees increase in police presence due to mental health crisis

On Tuesday afternoon, a man in his late 20s to early 30s experiencing a mental health episode caused a large police response at the Kroger Marketplace in Miamisburg. Multiple callers reported seeing several police officers at the grocery store around 3:45 p.m. in response to reports of a disorderly subject.

According to a Montgomery County dispatch supervisor, Miamisburg police and medics were called to the scene on 255 N Heincke Road. The man had walked into the store, stolen a box cutter, and locked himself in a bathroom. Despite the mental health crisis he was experiencing, the man did not harm himself.

Police arrested the suspect on charges of trespassing, inducing panic, and theft. Although the grocery store was not shut down, a section near the pharmacy was blocked off during the incident. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call 988 to reach the National Suicide Hotline for help.