PTSD on trial:Iraq war vet sent to prison

Iraq war vet sent to prison
BY DAN HORN DHORN@ENQUIRER.COM

Randy Koon’s friends say the U.S. Marine reservist suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder when he fired a gunshot at his girlfriend’s car last year.

They say his tour of duty in Iraq left him depressed and unable to cope with daily life and relationships.

“When he came back from Iraq, he was not the same Randy,” Staff Sgt. Charles Siegel told a judge Monday.

The judge said he sympathized with Koon’s struggles, but he still sentenced the Marine to six years in prison on charges of felonious assault.

“It’s clear that at the time of the offense you were suffering from mental illness,” said Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Ralph “Ted” Winkler. “But at the same time, you shot at the person you loved the most. Thank God you didn’t hit her.”

Koon, who was a top-rated sheriff’s deputy before the shooting incident last August, pleaded guilty to the assault charge earlier this year.

Prosecutors say he fought with his girlfriend, Jessica Barber, in his Colerain Township home and shot at her while she attempted to drive away. The shot shattered the driver’s side window. Koon then fled to Chicago, where he was caught a few days later.

A pre-sentence mental health evaluation and letters from fellow Marines indicate Koon suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, Winkler said. Part of Koon’s job in Iraq was to assist in detecting roadside bombs.

Assistant Prosecutor Gwen Bender said Koon’s service to his country and community were admirable, but his conduct last August “brought dishonor to both.”
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Sounds like the Judge and Prosecutor need to talk to some NAMI people, like the other judges who are using their brains and not putting these veterans in jail instead of treatment.