I have dealt with people like this son, severe mental problems BUT ruled to be competent and thus NOT subject to any supervision that such person does NOT agree to. What is suppose to do, watch him from afar and wait for him to do something bad and report it? Watch from afar and undo the damage once he did some harm?
Sorry, I have seen such people, they need help but because they are viewed as "Competent" the only person who can get them to get help is themselves. If he attacks his mother when she visit him is she to have him jailed? If she waives to him and he throws a rock at her, is she suppose to have him arrested?
Remember he is over 18, thus "Over 18. White, Free and Unmarried" as the old saying goes. Thus until he does something to get arrested and jailed for, he is allowed on the streets and if he attacks his own family members, they is nothing they can do except have him arrested (and then the charges are almost always drop in exchange for an agreement he seeks help, which he does then quits).
We need a law that covers people who are otherwise competent (i.e. know the difference between right and wrong as while as an average 14 year old) but less then competent (maybe the cut off should be 7 year old and 14 years old, i.e. someone who knows right and wrong as while as a seven year old).
7 and 14 were under the old rule of 7s adopted by the Common Law Courts. Below 7 you were viewed as incompetent, above 14 competent, between 7 and 14 competency was on a case by case basis. In most if not all states this rule has been "Abolished" but courts still tend to use it as a guideline as to competency, thus my use of 7 and 14 (There were exceptions to this rule, for example you could entered into a valid marriage at age 12. Another exception was children remained under the control of their parents till the child turn 21, or the parents did some act that showed they were no longer doing care, control or supervision over the minor).
Just a comment that what this mother could do was very limited under the laws of today and her not seeing her son for five years is common in such cases, to common for there is no way to force the son to see his mother if he does not want to and is technically "Competent".
Reading the post, I was surprised to read she had lunch with him last week. That is unusual, but it could have been an indication that something was up. The problem is what was up, Suicide, this attack, or just an outburst on a public street. No way for her to know, thus who do you report it to? Remember it could also mean nothing.
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