After standoff with police, community honors veteran lost to PTSD

Adrian veteran's loved ones talk mental health in hopes of saving lives

ABC 13 News
Michael Bratton
May 4, 2019

By talking about an unfortunate end to their veteran's life, Stidham's family hopes they can inspire others to save countless more.

ADRIAN, Mich. (WTVG) - For Jennifer Durell the sudden loss of her brother has been tough.

"I'm going to miss him," Durrel said. "No one expects their loved one to go this way."

On Wednesday police say her brother, Randy Stidham, died by apparent suicide. It happened after the 59-year-old held officers in a daylong stand off at his Adrian home. Police say Stidham fired shots from inside the house and even took aim at law enforcement.

"My sister's going to miss him, my dad's going to miss him," Durell said. "He's missed by a lot of people."

Stidham's family says he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, after serving in the U.S. Navy. Despite his struggles, his family says he loved motorcycles, his dog and spending time outdoors.
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