Police, Air Force launch program to save lives of veterans in crisis

Police, Air Force launch program to save lives of veterans in crisis
By Jackie Valley
Thursday, March 29, 2012

The call did not sound good: man barricaded inside residence, possibly suicidal.

Nellis Air Force Base leaders mobilized. They knew the airman recently had returned from a war zone and other obstacles loomed in his life.

Nellis officials drove to the scene and met Metro Police, who were trying to coax the man outside. They joined the conversations, offering insight into this man’s life.

“It ended up a good news story in the fact that the individual came out and got care on base,” said Maj. Christopher Johnson, a security forces squadron commander at Nellis.

The encounter — and positive outcome — planted a seed in authorities’ minds: If they could share information about veterans in distress, it might help de-escalate other, similar situations and ultimately save lives. Planning for the new program, Veterans In Crisis, began immediately in the fall.
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