Shot policewoman quits force due to stress

This report is from the UK but it speaks loudly about the fact the dangerous job of police work sometimes leaves wounds no one can see.

The men and women entering into law enforcement, no matter what nation they live in, are much like the men and women entering into the military. They know the job is dangerous but they know it has to be done.

"Policing is a vocation and attracts a certain calibre of person. Those who feel an overwhelming sense of wanting to serve, to help others, and believe strongly in the principles of upholding the law to protect the law-abiding majority and keep people safe. Rachael Bown is one of those people."

Shot policewoman quits force due to stress

By Theo Usherwood, PA


A police officer shot in the stomach by an illegal immigrant announced today that she was leaving her force because of post-traumatic stress.


Pc Rachael Bown, now 27, said she still suffered flashbacks and panic attacks after being shot by Trevon Thomas while investigating a burglary in Lenton, Nottingham, in February 2006.

She needed emergency surgery and spent several days in intensive care after the bullet passed through her stomach.

Pc Bown, a trainee at the time of the shooting, went back to work after 12 months. But she could not return to frontline policing and was restricted to desk duties.

Today she said she was leaving Nottinghamshire Police.

In an open letter to the force, she said: "People think you can get over it or simply move on.

"But the reality is so very different. I have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suffer from panic attacks, nightmares and anxiety flashbacks. I have developed phobias about hospitals and the dark.

"Being shot changes you as a person. You see things differently. You also know that no-one can ever truly understand what you are going through."
read more here
Shot policewoman quits force due to stress