A distressing TikTok livestream involving celebrity blogger Perez Hilton prompted multiple emergency calls to police in Miami after viewers reported what appeared to be acts of self-harm. Deputies attended his home, where family members were present, before deciding to use a tactical de-escalation approach while continuing to monitor the situation, according to the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office.
Police in Florida responded after American media personality Perez Hilton appeared in a graphic TikTok livestream in which he seemed to repeatedly harm himself with a blade while covered in blood. The incident prompted concerned viewers to contact emergency services, leading deputies to attend his Miami home. According to the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, officers spoke with relatives outside the property before deciding not to immediately enter the home, instead adopting a tactical response designed for mental health emergencies.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office told Britannia Daily it received “multiple calls” regarding an individual broadcasting apparent self-harm on TikTok.
Deputies said family members were outside the residence when officers arrived and confirmed Hilton was inside on his own.
Explaining why officers chose not to force an immediate confrontation, the sheriff’s office said: “In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication.
“Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public.”
Authorities said they had “tactically disengaged” while continuing to monitor the situation.
What is tactical disengagement?
“Tactical disengagement” is a policing strategy increasingly used by law enforcement in the United States during mental health incidents. Rather than escalating a confrontation where there is no immediate danger to others, officers create time and space to encourage communication and reduce the risk of injury.
Many police departments now provide officers with Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, which focuses on de-escalation techniques when responding to people believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Mental health experts have also warned that livestreamed self-harm incidents present significant challenges for emergency responders because large audiences can rapidly alert authorities while social media platforms must decide whether to interrupt broadcasts or remove graphic content. Most major platforms have policies allowing them to limit the spread of self-harm material and direct users towards mental health support resources.
Hilton’s recent health struggles
It remains unclear who else was inside the property when the livestream was recorded. Hilton is the father of three children, with a son born in 2013 and daughters born in 2015 and 2017.
Perez Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., rose to international prominence during the mid-2000s through his celebrity gossip website, PerezHilton.com, which became one of the world’s most widely read entertainment blogs. In recent years he has focused more heavily on social media, podcasts and livestreams, where he regularly engages with followers.
Hilton has previously spoken publicly about a series of serious health problems. Earlier this year he was hospitalised after developing severe sepsis linked to an ulcer that occurred after taking flu medication without eating. He was later admitted to hospital again after developing deep vein thrombosis, requiring treatment to remove a blood clot from his leg.
Following those medical emergencies, Hilton said his Christian faith had become increasingly important in his life and shared that he had begun reading the Bible.
In a video shared with followers, he said: “[God] did something that I can only describe as a miracle. I had been calling out to God for years, opening my heart and inviting Him and now I no longer need to have faith, I no longer need to hope to believe; I know that God is real and that God loves me.”
Mental health professionals generally advise anyone who believes a person may be in immediate danger during a livestream to report the incident to the relevant social media platform and contact local emergency services, rather than attempting to intervene through online comments or messages.
