Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Number of veterans involved with police standoffs grows

There are a a lot more stories out there but for the sake of time, I pulled some from my blog because I have been noticing an increase in police responding to veterans. The last year has shown a huge increase, which is a very troubling sign most of what is being done has not worked. Veterans Courts are great but they do no good if the police officers are not trained properly on how to help these veterans in order to get them into court alive. Take a look at some of the dates. I removed the last names other than Staff Sgt. Travis Twigg. His death was reported all over the country.


August 2006
Elio C, San Bernadino, Air Force, Iraq veteran

December 2006
James D, Maryland, Afghanistan veteran, 29 years old

September 2007
David M, Newberry Township PA, Vietnam veteran survived attempted suicide by cop

May 2008
Staff Sgt. Travis Twigg, 5 tours, killed himself and his brother at the Grand Canyon after police closed in. He had PTSD and even met President Bush.

June 2008
James G, Buffalo NY, Vietnam Vet, survivied

Randy K, Marine Reservist, Iraq veteran, Deputy Sheriff, arrested after fleeing to Chicago

July 2008
Unidentified Schofield soldier, 18 hour standoff ended without shots fired


February 2009
Marshall F, Portsmouth VA, Vietnam veteran

Spc. Jason J, Fort Bragg, survived

Spc. Larry Applegate, Widefield TX, standoff ended with suicide

July 2009
Unidentified veteran at Colmery-O’Neil VA, Topeka KS, no shots fired, survived

Ronnie C, Watauga TX, Vietnam vet, shots fired in 9 hour standoff, survived

Richard H, Cheyenne WY, Vietnam Vet

September 2009
Torrance B, Vicksburg MS, Iraq veteran

Spc. Jason C, Indiana National Guards, survived

October 2009
Andrew W, Lynn ID, Iraq veteran, survived

Jacob S, Muncie IND, Iraq home on leave, killed himself in movie theater after police were called

November 2009
John L, Iraq Veteran, Lake Stevens Washington, three tours. Shot after domestic disturbance.

Christopher M, 30, Iraq veteran, Baltimore, police chase



January 2010

Kenneth E, Albuquerque NM, Iraq veteran

February 2010
Raymond I, Cleveland OH, Air Force veteran,

March 2010
Gerald L, Houston, WWII veteran, survived

April 2010
Zachary H, Platte City MO, Iraq veteran, survived, standoff started when he called for help

May 2010
Joshua G, Volusia County FL, 30 years old, 10 year Army veteran, Iraq Veteran

Kenneth Y, Greeley CO, Vietnam veteran

Adam W, Eagle Point OR, Iraq Veteran

June 2010
Tyrone B, Baltimore MD, Marine, shot “12 or 13 times” Iraq veteran

July 2010
James P, 37, Togus VA Hospital Maine

Erik S, 39, Las Vegas West Point and Duke, shot by police


August 2010
Brandon B, Salt Lake City Utah, Afghanistan veteran


September 2010
Brock S, Minot ND, Iraq veteran survived attempted suicide by cop after standoff

Edward Z, 61, Baldwin PA Vietnam Vet

Spc. Nicholas L, Oregon National Guard, Iraq Veteran, 22 years old

Spc. Anthony J, Fort Carson, Colorado, survived

November 2010
Matthew H, Cooperstown ND, Gulf War veteran, survived

December 2010
Unidentified veteran, New Cumberland PA, veteran survived

Spc. Freddy H, Fayetteville NC, 20, shot himself outside of Police Administrative Building

January 2011
Thomas H, Portland OR, Vietnam Vet, homeless veteran, shot 12 times

February 2011
Anthony M, Oregon Army Reserves, 50 years old, Iraq veteran

March 2011
Jeremiah P, 24 Glendale AZ, Afghanistan veteran

Jermaine G, 29, Iraq veteran, police chase, Los Angeles

Unidentified “war veteran”, Laredo TX, survived standoff and taken to be helped.

With Veterans Courts there is hope but the challenge is getting them from police responding to stay alive long enough to get to one of them. There are more and more law enforcement officials talking these veterans to the VA hospital instead of jail, so that helps too.

For the veteran already in jail, the VA is trying to address that too.
VA Extends Post-Incarceration Health Care

Measure Would Help Reduce Repeat Offenses

WASHINGTON (March 30, 2011)- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
will extend health care to eligible Veterans in halfway houses and other
temporary, post-incarceration housing under a new program aimed at
cutting back on repeat offenses.

"There's hard evidence that lack of access to health care, including
mental health care, for newly released inmates is a factor in people
becoming homeless or returning to prison and jail," said Jim McGuire,
director of VA's Veterans Justice Outreach Programs. "These are Veterans
who otherwise qualify for VA health care."

A long-standing rule has barred VA from providing health care to
Veterans for whom another federal, state or local government has an
obligation to provide health care. Frequently, that means inmates of
prisons and jails.

Under the changed rule, that prohibition would be amended and VA would
be allowed to provide health care to Veterans in halfway houses and
other temporary, post-incarceration housing.

An Urban Institute study in 2008 found that good health care in the
first months of community reentry played a key role in easing
readjustment and reducing recidivism.

About 29,000-56,000 Veterans are released annually from state and
federal prisons, and at least 90,000 Veterans are released each year
from city and county jails, according to Department of Justice's Bureau
of Justice Statistics.

1 comment:

  1. Just visited chiropractor's office, he was relating having bought a safe on the week end. It seems that the ex of a local Marine was selling all the property and some of it was their entire life savings invested in a gun collection that the local cops had ripped out of the boxes and tossed antiques as well as all other guns into an evidence storage at the local cop shop... wonder how many of the guns are left. No one seemed interested in the Marine, just how to get the guns and these were allegedly hard core Republican Fundamentalist Christians. So this left wing Dem gun owner is contacting all her military buddies to find out what we can do for the dude after I get the woman's name from the Doctor. Who is the Sheriff from Lebanon or Lancaster Co. Penna who is pushing for a special court for vets?

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