FAIRHOPE — The Marlow man accused of shooting two deputies the day after Thanksgiving was a victim as well, according to a friend.

Michael Jansen, 53, was committed to Searcy Mental Hospital twice in 2010, according to probate court records. On Nov. 23, a confrontation with three deputies ended in gunfire. Jansen and deputy Scott Ward were killed. Sgt. Curtis Summerlin was shot twice and remains in the hospital.

“He was a good guy, but the system failed him,” Calvin Hunt said of Jansen. “He had mental problems. He was sick and needed help. But at the end of the day, he had a good heart.

“He was a very good friend. He was just over at my house last Monday and we were making plans to watch the (Iron Bowl) football game Saturday.

“He was in good spirits. He was talking about how bad Alabama was going to win, but you could tell it was time for Mike to get some new medications.  The problem is, Searcy is closed.”

The state-owned Searcy Hospital in Mt. Vernon served the south half of Alabama, until the doors were shuttered last month. The closure was part of a move the Department of Mental Health announced in February to slash its budget by 25 percent. It included the closing of three other mental hospitals in the state.

But Searcy staying open probably would not have helped Jansen, Hunt said.

“That’s the thing,” said Hunt. “He hated Searcy. He said they treated people like animals. He said he would rather be dead than to go back.

“He might have thought the deputies were trying to take him back to Searcy. I don’t know, because I wasn’t there.”

Jansen’s mother had not been able to contact her son, who had been acting distraught and irate at times. She called for an ambulance to have him checked out. The paramedics in turn called for deputies to help subdue Jansen.

“People need to remember he was a good guy,” said Hunt. “The law had been over there on several occasions in the past and nothing happened. This one particular time, something did. We don’t know what happened.

“He had mental problems. If he would have got some help, this tragedy might never have happened.”

Jansen was laid to rest in a quiet ceremony Thursday afternoon. Hunt said the family wanted to wait until after the funeral of Ward, which drew thousands of law enforcement personnel from as far away as Chicago.