Family of Kenneth Guy Ellis III calls for better training after police shooting

Here is the story.

Iraq veteran fatally shot by APD
by Patrick Hibbard; Managing Editor
Volume 15, Issue 17
January 19, 2010

Kenneth Guy Ellis III died Wednesday, Jan. 13 after being fatally shot by an Albuquerque Police Department (APD) detective. The APD has disclosed to various news agencies that Ellis was pulled over in the 7-11 parking lot at Eubank and Constitution because the corvette he was driving did not match the license plate that was on it. Ellis had been struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since he was injured while serving with the Army Infantry in Iraq.

He had previously described the incident to his sister, Krissy Ellis-Encinio, wherein his unit was assigned to paint over graffiti “for two days in a row and were sent back for a third.” As Ellis and his unit – including his close friend Wes whom he had met at basic training – were approaching a site, Wes stepped on an Improvised Explosive Devise and was blown up. Ellis received shrapnel in his leg and was eventually medically discharged for his injuries. “Half his unit was taken out. He managed to drag himself to a radio and call for help. The next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital.”

“My son was a hero, he served his country well. I truly wish that our country could have served him as well as he served them,” said Annelle Wharton, Ellis’ mother. Both Ellis’ mother and sister noted that they had continually sought help for him, but could not do anything unless he consented. His sister said, “If he’s an [active] soldier and he says he wants to go home they won’t let him. But once he’s discharged, they say ‘goodbye, go home.’ They force him to stay and fight, but they wouldn’t force him into treatment.” She took him to the VA for treatment, but he said he wasn’t suicidal or homicidal and “they said ‘I’m sorry, ma’am, there’s nothing we can do for you.” Ellis-Encinio hopes for the day when the families of veterans can find unity of purpose: “We need to all get together and change this. We need to be able to make choices for them because they are unable to make choices for themselves.” Both mother and sister also note that vets are reluctant to seek or agree to help because of the “Macho” attitude they learn in the military.
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Iraq veteran fatally shot by APD

All he had to do was claim he was not "suicidal or homicidal" so the VA couldn't take him in when he was clearly in crisis to his family. That is the biggest problem of all when the families are on the front lines when they come home. Families are the first to notice changes in veterans but if they somehow manage to get the veterans to go for help and no one will listen to them, it is easy for the veteran to hide what is really going on. Most of the time they don't want to admit how much pain they are in to anyone, especially themselves.

After all, they survived the worst conditions in combat, so back home should be nothing to complain about to them. Maybe they just expect they will be able to just get over it. Maybe they think they are hiding it but the families always know something is wrong even if they don't know what it is.

Ellis, like so many others, survived bombs and bullets in combat but could not survive being back home and this is clearly wrong. There needs to be more done to save the lives of those who serve us.