Cleveland County In-Custody Death Raises Questions About Mental Health Resources

The death of a well-known Norman baker and mental health advocate has the community mourning and in shock.  

Shannon Hanchett died while in custody at the Cleveland County Detention Center. We now know she was struggling with her mental health.  

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the investigation, many are also wondering about the initial arrest and if anyone else could have been called.  

Those close to Hanchett gathered outside of her Bakery, Okie Baking Co. in Norman for a candlelight vigil.  

“Shannon was a very special person, she was a caring person, she was a compassionate person,” said Jeff Dismukes, the Communications Director at the Oklahoma Department Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services. 

Dismukes said he worked with Hanchett for years and is still wrapping his head around her loss. 

“She worked with us for a long time, and it is a difficult time for everybody involved,” he said. 

Hanchett's recent arrest and death while in Cleveland County Custody has the community raising questions on the tools available for people struggling with mental health, one being the 988 hotline. 

“988 is not just for an individual who is experiencing crisis or seeking help. It is for family, for friends. Anyone can utilize this to reach out and find those resources in their community,” said Dismukes.  

Dismukes said you can call 988 on behalf of a loved one. From there they have several courses of action depending on the situation.  

“Norman has been a huge proponent of mobile crisis response, CIT training. We are looking for opportunities to better our response to all situations,” he said. 

News 9 has also been looking into Norman Police Department's Crisis Intervention Response.  

“Thirty-eight percent of my commissioned force are CIT trained, 61 officers. That includes all eight of our school resource officers,” said Lt. Cary Bryant, the Community Outreach Coordinator for NPD, back in October of 2021 when News 9 originally reported on their efforts to train officers.  

News 9 asked NPD about current CIT numbers and if the responding officers in Hanchett’s case were trained in Crisis Intervention. The department responded in a statement and said, “At this time, no further information is available for release. At the time she was arrested she did not meet criteria under state law for an involuntary protective custody detention. The arrest of Ms. Hanchett took place more than 12 days prior to her death.” 

“I knew Shannon well and so many of us are asking questions still and trying to fill in the blanks,” said Dismukes.  

NPD said they are reviewing their involvement to ensure policy and training standards were in place at the time of her arrest.  

While those close to her wait for answers, there is a GoFundMe to help the family during this difficult time.