Post Shooting Trauma

I was dispatched out of city to back up a Maricopa County Deputy.By the time I got there it was all over with. The Deputy tried to stop a speeding car and the perp didn't want to stop. This was a weekday morning. The area was semi-remote with some industrial sites. The Deputy got the man out of the car and that was when the perp started shooting. The Deputy put the man down for keeps. There were several civilian witnesses who were all eager to tell what a great job the Deputy had done up to that point. The Deputy was standing there when a loud whistle blew. The Deputy thought lunch time, pulled out his lunch and started to eat. What had happened was the Deputy who was a eight or nine year veteran went into shock. I sat him in my car along with a civilian to talk to him. Within a few minutes the civilian was out of the car telling everyone that the Deputy was in shock. So everything worked out for him. It ruined his self image of his career. Inside a month the Deputy had quit. That's why I always tell students that at some time they are going to sit in judgement of what took place. They are going to be the harshest judge of the shooting. At that time they had better have had a good reason for shooting.
 
BigBob, as I recall, 70-80% of LEO's who kill in the LOD leave law enforcement within a year. I had already put in my papers, so I don't count.

There are also the reverse reactions - like the CA officer who killed one of a notorious set of gang member brothers. After the next qualification, he shot better than usual, holstered his gun, and said "Bring on the other XXXX brothers!" He was sent to psych.

In the end, we are all individuals. Some suffer PTSD, some don't. Some have many symptoms, some few. Age, years as an LEO, prior PTSD training, moral background, etc. are all factors, but the impact of each is unknown.

And no one has mentioned the religious feelings. The depth of religious feeling may also be a factor - the early editions of the bible says "thou shall not murder", not thou shall not kill. Early religious teaching included situations when killing was allowed.

But remember this: Look down on no one for his suffering is real - certainly to him/her. I did not suffer PTSD, but if there is a next time, I might.
 
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I never shot anyone, but my nephew has. Marine soon to be out.

He said there were support groups available immediately after returning from a patrol,,,
If there was any shooting on the patrol then your attendance was mandatory,,,
And it wasn't a chaplain but a trained psychologist leading the group.
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He is in san diego going thru "Debriefing" he took over a large machine gun maybe a m50 or something like it, then aimed it on a convoy just blew his best friend up and killed his sgt. He told me that gun tore up everything he shot with it, guys in the vehicles were jellied, unrecognizable. He has bad dreams, is dealing with it. He isnt the same young man, not as brash, not so fast to speak up, more introspective.

He will be a dad soon, and on to be a teacher, the marine corp was his way to get college money.

Killing a person changed him, I for one dont wish that change be made to me if I can avoid it.
 
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