It's called an Involuntary Commitment and it exists for the exact reasons listed above by many posters. If the cops shrugged his threat of suicide attempt off and he did it after they left, every govt. agency involved would be on the hook for liability.

Police, Fire, EMT's, everyone that is involved from the point the 911 call was made. If the man made the comment that he was suicidal, they are legally obligated to commit this man.

The guy chose to be a dipshit resisting after he made this comment so yeah, the police had to do something to get him in cuffs. Him sitting on the chair and refusing to get up is in fact passive resistance, and the officers are within their boundaries to use force to get him to comply. Would I have Tased him? Probably not, but I wasn't there. Would I have got this guy in cuffs one way or another? Yes. Unfortunately at that point, the cops are damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they beat his ass to get him in cuffs, he might have a heart attack, stroke out, or end up with serious traumatic injuries like broken bones, heavy contusions, etc.

They really can't win. People keep harping on these cops about how they aren't like the cops of old days, well times have changed and they have to change with them in order to be effective at their job. If people don't like being handled by police, then don't do shit to get them involved in your life. If you get caught, then step up and own your fuckup. Instead nowadays you got idiots who get off scott free on murders where they are found over the top of a body with a machete in their hands due to shitbag defense attorneys who attack the Officers credibility and free these guys on technicalities.

The system is twisted up and until it changes, it will be business as usual for these cops. Don't like it? Live right then.