Trent Lloyd Thorp shot 9 times by police and 1 time by himself

I don't know how many times I'll read stories like this.

Police: Lewis soldier shot himself in head
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 28, 2011 11:48:06 EDT
LAKEWOOD, Wash. — A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who was shot by Lakewood officers this week also had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said.

A preliminary autopsy report showed Trent Lloyd Thorp, 26, was hit nine times by police gunfire, police said.
read more here

Police kill armed soldier
Soldier shot himself before officers

When some people read about men like Thorp, they don't want to think about the fact that this is the same man willing to die for the sake of someone else. After all, that is what they know could happen when they decide to serve in the military, just as it could happen when they enter into law enforcement. It takes a very special type of person to be willing to do that. Some may not even begin to wonder how things could get so terribly twisted around this same person would be willing to take a weapon onto streets back home. They won't wonder when they commit crimes. It doesn't matter to them this same person put the life of someone else first. Maybe they don't want to think about it, think about what was behind all of the terrible outcomes, just as they don't want to think about the tiny fraction of veterans ending up facing off with law enforcement. Over 2 million served in Iraq and Afghanistan alone yet the reports are rare.

When I try to think of how many stories like this have been reported, I can't remember all of them but their families remember their stories well. Their victims and families remember. Their communities remember. The rest of us move onto something else. We forget that war does terrible things to people. People born just like the rest of us with flesh, bones and souls. With dreams and obstacles. With joys and heartaches. The difference between them and the rest of us is we focus on our own lives but they think about others first. When their lives end up with reports like this, the entire nation should be wondering what can be done to stop having to read reports like this and mourn.