Yakima, WASH.--A 31-year old Yakima man made his first court appearance Monday after trying to kill his father this weekend.
Police said Darrell Nidiffer tackled his father Saturday night and stabbed him in the neck almost killing him, but his dad said it's not his son's fault.
"I don't want him to go to jail. I want him to get help. He needs help. He loves me dearly, he tells me every day how much he loves me."
The father said his son suffers from mental health issues and he frequently has outbursts. However, this is the first time it's become violent.
Unfortunately, mental health services have taken a big cut in Washington State's budget and Nidiffer isn't the only one not getting the help he needs. In Yakima, Kittitas and Klickitat Counties mental health out--patient care has been cut by $8 million.
"They get to a really sick point before they get help, and we want to get people help before they get so sick that they're doing something that they shouldn't," said Rick Weaver, CEO of Comprehensive Mental Health.
Weaver said if you're not on Medicaid or have insurance you're probably not receiving long-term treatment. Comprehensive Mental Health's Crisis Staff can check someone in for in-patient care, but that's only up to 72 hours.
"We get somewhere between 300-400 of those calls a month where we go out and evaluate people to see whether they need involuntary treatment, that's just in Yakima County alone," Weaver said.
Bail for Nidiffer has been set at $500,000 and the court issued a no contact order. Once he gets an attorney, they'll determine if Nidiffer is competent enough to stand trial.
