Fort Lewis solider acquitted

Fort Lewis solider acquitted
A former Fort Lewis soldier charged with robbing University of Washington students at gunpoint in January has been acquitted by a jury in King County Superior Court.

Raymond Burrows, 22, of Central Falls, R.I., had been charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of rendering of criminal assistance.

Defense attorney Ramona Brandes said the case had difficulties from the start because witnesses described two of the robbers as being white and the third as black. Burrows is white, as were his two co-defendants Robert Lucas Jr. of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and Chad Braden, of Etna, Ohio.
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Links between PTSD, substance abuse explored,,dah!

I'm really sorry but I can't help myself,,,,,dah! They've had over thirty years to notice this....It's called self-medicating and has been documented since the Vietnam Veterans came home!

Links between PTSD, substance abuse explored
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 7, 2009 18:20:34 EST

At a two-day conference for civilian and military researchers, doctors produced one idea after another for treating and preventing substance abuse in service members with post-traumatic stress disorder.

As the ideas bounced from person to person, they tried to tie them together in ways that could make sense in a military setting: They must be accessible to many people at once, they must be cheap, they must be proven, and they must be easy.

And they must be immediate.

About 20 percent of service members say they’ve had a few drinks and then driven a vehicle, Richard Keller, a researcher for the U.S. Army Battlemind behavioral health program, said at the conference, sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuise.

The drinking, he said, also leads to domestic violence and fights, “particularly with our younger crowd.”

The military also is seeing 20 suicides per 100,000 people.

“Every Brigade Combat Team commander can expect one suicide per year,” Keller said.

Research has shown that alcohol can contribute to suicides because it makes people impulsive.

Roger Roffman, professor at the school of social work at the University of Washington, talked about an intervention that’s not as invasive as checking into a substance abuse program — in fact, it doesn’t even force a person to change, only to take a look at his or her habits. click link for more

Former custodian ID'd as man who set himself on fire at UW last week

Former custodian ID'd as man who set himself on fire at UW last week

The King County Medical Examiner's Office has released the name of a 61-year-old former custodian at the University of Washington who died after setting himself on fire in the UW's Red Square on Thursday. In Soo Chun died at Harborview Medical Center from second- and third-degree burns that covered 90 percent of his body.

By Will Mari

Seattle Times staff reporter

The King County Medical Examiner's Office has released the name of a man who died Thursday after setting himself on fire in the University of Washington's Red Square.

In Soo Chun, 61, a former UW custodian, died at Harborview Medical Center from second- and third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body.

According to UW spokesman Norm Arkans, Chun had worked for the UW's Facilities Services from December 2005 to early summer of this year. He immigrated to the U.S. from Korea in 1977 and became a naturalized citizen in 1982.
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Man who set self on fire released from UW job in August

Man who set self on fire released from UW job in August


UW students are praised for trying to help a 61-year-old former facilities employee who set himself on fire Thursday on campus. The man died despite the efforts of the students.
By Nick Perry and Will Mari

Seattle Times staff reporters

University of Washington students are being praised for trying to save the life of a 61-year-old man who doused himself in gasoline and set himself on fire Thursday in Red Square.

Despite the efforts of more than a half-dozen students who initially tried to beat down the flames with their clothes and later used fire extinguishers, the man — a former UW employee — died Thursday afternoon at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

"It really is phenomenal how people tried to help him out," said Ralph Robinson, an assistant UW Police Chief. "It says a lot about the caring community of the entire university. People reacted almost instantaneously, even though there was some danger to themselves."

Some new details about the man emerged Friday, although authorities have not released his name pending notification of his next of kin.
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University of Washington students tried to save man who set himself on fire

Former UW staffer dies after setting fire to self
A former University of Washington staff member died Thursday after dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire in Red Square.

By Will Mari and Nick Perry

Seattle Times staff reporters


A former University of Washington staff member died Thursday after dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire in Red Square.

The 61-year-old man, who was not named by officials pending notification of his next of kin, was a recent employee, according to UW assistant police Chief Ralph Robinson.

UW spokesman Norm Arkans said the man separated from the university over the summer, but declined to elaborate on the circumstances.

"We don't know why he did this," said Robinson. "There were no protests or demonstrations going on, so we don't think it was political. He wasn't in a fight as far as we know. We just don't know what drove him."
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Man sets self on fire at University of Washington

Man sets self on fire at Univ. of Washington

Thursday, October 30, 2008
A 61-year-old man poured gasoline over himself and set himself on fire Thursday at the University of Washington in an apparent suicide attempt, police said.

The man was taken to a hospital with second- and third-degree burns, said Ralph H. Robinson, assistant campus police chief. There was no immediate word on his condition.
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