Note: An updated version of this story has been published.

The last time Shalon Tucker spoke to her son, he said to her, “Ma, they kicked me and slammed me to the ground outside the JP Coroner’s Office.” Then the phone cut off. She hasn’t heard a word from him since. 

Devin Tucker, a man who suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, was last seen at the Jefferson Parish Sherrif’s Office a few days ago. 

He was taken into police custody after a December 16th altercation with his girlfriend’s mother and brother in New Orleans East. Devin had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend’s brother who had approached him with a knife and hammer in hand. Devin had retrieved the hammer and hit his girlfriend’s brother with it. Devin’s girlfriend called the police, and then she and Devin left. 

Upon hearing about the incident, Shalon Tucker, Devin’s mother, called the Jefferson Parish Police Department requesting their assistance in dealing with Devin’s mental situation. They told her they would be unable to help because the New Orleans Police Department hadn’t contacted them yet about the incident. 

Devin’s mother then met up with Devin and concluded that because he was a day late for his injection he was slipping into psychosis. The Jefferson Parish Police arrived a couple of hours later, after midnight, and told her that if she felt Devin was a threat to himself or others she should contact the Coroner’s Office. 

She contacted the Coroner’s Office and Devin was deemed a threat so he was immediately supposed to be transferred to West Jefferson Hospital. Shalon was told he was being taken there when in reality he was brought to Gretna Jail. 

Shalon received a text message at 10 AM the next day from an unknown number that stated her boyfriend was in jail with Devin who had been hurt by the cops. After receiving the text she began to start contacting the JPPD to find out about the whereabouts of Devin and briefly reached him on the phone. She was told he was in custody on 3 charges of resisting arrest, marijuana possession, and a traffic attachment. 

Shalon went to the jail where a nurse told her that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office had done their own evaluation of Devin and nothing was wrong with him. The nurse would not take the Coroner’s paperwork or listen to Shalon about Devin being both bipolar and schizophrenic.

The next day Shalon went to go bail Devin out of JPSO custody and was told that he would be released by 7 PM as long as there were no holds on him from any other parishes. Around 4 PM, Lieutenant Berry called Shalon to tell her that Devin was okay, had been sedated, and was not with the jail’s general population. 

However, 7 PM passed and there was no sign of Devin. After 7 PM, Devin’s sister Brooke Whitaker called JPSO and was told they were waiting on the bail bondsman to sign the release and that there was a 7-10 day hold on him because there was a warrant out for his arrest in Orleans Parish. However, the “7-10 day hold rule” was unsubstantiated and unheard of. 

Through the rest of the night, there was still no word from Devin. The family was then told by the JPPD that the NOPD had picked up Devin Tucker at 2 AM for an attachment. The family checked with the NOPD and they said they didn’t have any outstanding warrants or attachments on file for Devin Tucker. 

Brooke Whitaker, Devin’s sister tweeted, “Orleans said they don’t even have a warrant for my brother so why would they pick him up! Then they said the bus brung him to Orleans Jail at 8 am. Gretna is LYING! Orleans said they are TOO because they would tell us if he’s booked! WHERE IS DEVIN TUCKER!!!” 

As of now, Devin Tucker’s family has been unable to find out where he is. The crisis center has no record of him. No New Orleans hospitals have any records of him. The New Orleans Police Department said they do not have him in custody. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office does not have him in custody. The FBI has been contacted to start a search soon. His mother Shalon Tucker is beyond distraught, commenting that this is “breaking her into pieces.”