SWAT Team responds to Phoenix Arizona VA Chief's home

SWAT confronts VA executive in Mesa
FOX 10 News
By Nicole Garcia
Posted: Jul 21, 2014

MESA, Ariz. - We are learning new information about an incident involving the Mesa SWAT Team and a Phoenix VA Hospital executive.

Brad Curry is the Chief of Health Administration Services at the Phoenix VA Hospital.

He was put on administrative leave in May after reports that BA administrators created and hid secret waiting lists to cover up long wait times for sick veterans.

Curry was at the center of police activity earlier this month after a family member called 911 saying he was suicidal.

911 Caller: "My father is going through a difficult time. He's threatening suicide."

911 Operator: "Does he have any weapons?"

911 Caller: "He has multiple weapons, rifles and a gun."

911 Operator: "What does he have with him?"

911 Caller: "I have no idea. My mom came to my house. We live right across the street."

This 911 call by Curry's daughter sparked a SWAT Team response at his home on July 10.

According to the police report, Curry became upset while discussing finances with his wife, grabbed a pistol and then slammed his hand against the wall.
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Veteran left VA hospital, texted his good-byes before being killed by police

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 19, 2014

A Kentucky National Guardsman served two tours in Iraq. Justin Neil Davis was only 24. His last tour ended when he was 22 in 2012. Davis knew he was having problems. He had been in the VA rehab for 30 days but as it turned out, it didn't make that much of a difference.

Davis was one of the countless stories of veterans seeking help instead of denying they need it. That is the saddest part of all. They wanted to live, hoped to heal, reached out for help and tried the best they could to recover from combat. They are also the greatest example of how the government failed them.

A sad update to Veteran killed by police had just been to the Memphis VA

Germantown Police describe scene that led up to vet's shooting death

Members of GPD’s Crisis Intervention Team got to the park at 9:50 p.m. but, despite their attempt to talk with Davis over a loudspeaker and by cellphone, he threatened to shoot at them and “made statements about killing himself.” He asked them to turn off their bright lights.

Then Davis pointed the barrel of the rifle out the passenger side window toward police. Three officers opened fire, hitting Davis multiple times.

When the ambulance got to the park at 10:05 p.m., he was dead.

Davis, a veteran of the Kentucky National Guard, had served two tours in Iraq, the most recent ending in 2012, according to guard records.

Before his fatal encounter with police, Davis struggled with alcohol abuse and was released from a 30-day rehabilitation program in September, according to divorce papers filed by his wife in October. His father, a Navy veteran, died in February. By March, Davis was without a job.

Vallandinghan said Davis had an appointment at the Memphis VA Medical Center at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to have an MRI on his back, and that while he was there, told VA staff he was having suicidal thoughts.

After leaving, Vallandinghan said, he texted friends and family to say goodbye.

Three police officers are now dealing with the fact they had to kill a veteran who risked his young life and was failed by the VA. VA employees are wondering what else they could have or should have done differently. His family and friends are wondering what they should have done differently. Other veterans are wondering if this happened to Davis after he sought help to survive, what are their chances?

We have to talk about horrible outcomes if we are ever going to fix what has not worked. These are not just testimonials of current events but reflect what veterans have been facing for decades. It is only because the media was not interested in telling the stories of older veterans facing the same fates that the general public had no clue. Just because you are not aware there is a problem doesn't mean it wasn't shattering lives before you read about it in your local newspaper.
July 11 another veteran,

"Anthony Reardon, 44, of South Hampton, who allegedly stole and crashed police cruisers during a June 3 incident outside his home, appeared in Seabrook District Court on Thursday to finalize an agreement that would allow him to receive outside treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder instead of sitting in a jail cell and awaiting his indictment on numerous charges."

On July 4, 2014 41 Action News out of Kansas reported

Veteran Icarus Randolph was killed by police after family members called police to say he was suicidal. When police officers arrived he must have felt threatened and went after them with a knife in his hand. The taser did little good and according to police reports, that is when they opened fire killing him.

June 12 "An Iraq War combat veteran who held Northampton police on an armed standoff inside his girlfriend's borough home will serve four years of probation under a plea agreement that takes into account his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Scott P. Wines Jr., 29, served six tours in Iraq as a Marine and is now attending outpatient counseling twice a week to cope with what he experienced overseas, said defense attorney Rory Driscole.

June 8th it happened in Denver.

A police officer shot and killed a suicidal military veteran after the man aimed a rifle at the officer in the driveway of his home, according to police.

"He pointed the rifle," said Lt. Gary Millspaugh of the Aurora Police Department. "He was shot in the upper torso."

The man, whose identity has not been released, was rushed to an Aurora hospital Friday after the 4:04 p.m. incident and was later pronounced dead.

The officer who was involved in the shooting was not injured during the confrontation, police said.

A psychologist called 911 and said he had just received a call from a patient who was potentially suicidal, Millspaugh said.

It happened in May in Kansas City when Issac Sims was turned away from the VA after seeking help.

Issac Sims’ family said he spent every day last week coming to the VA hospital, but was told on Friday that he had to wait a month to be admitted for his PTSD. Sims, 26, was an Iraq war veteran.

May 14 it was a standoff in North Carolina Standoff with Soldier but he survived and was taken to get help.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — An unidentified male soldier surrendered to Fayetteville police late Tuesday following a 90-minute standoff in the parking lot of a Walmart on Skibo Road.

Officers responding to the west Fayetteville store at about 10:30 p.m. found the man inside a car. According to authorities, he was threatening to harm himself.

Police cleared the parking lot, and customers were kept inside the store as a precaution.

"Cops told us to get in our cars, get back inside the building, because we were in the firing range," Robert Casey, a witness, told WRAL News.

The active duty soldier, who was believed to have a weapon, surrendered at about midnight, and he was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation. His name has not been released and it was unclear if he would face charges.

May 6 it was happening in Albuquerque to Armand Martin during a standoff with SWAT.

The family of Armand Martin says he was a colonel in the Air Force, but in the 27 years of his military career, they say he never saw combat until this weekend.

Albuquerque police said Martin fired shots from inside this house in Ventana Ranch on Saturday, but that officers did not return fire. Instead, they said crisis negotiators tried talking to him for several hours.

APD Deputy Chief Erica Garcia said Martin had been treated at the VA hospital for significant mental health related issues.

Two tour Iraq Veteran with PTSD killed by SWAT after VA sent him away

UPDATE

VA will pay for cremation of veteran shot in standoff
KSHB 41 News
Andres Gutierrez
May 29, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The family of Issac Sims, an Iraq War veteran shot and killed over Memorial Day Weekend, says the Kansas City Veteran Affairs Hospital will cover the cost to pay cremate and honor veteran.

Issac’s father Adrian Sims witnessed carnage during the Vietnam War, but wasn't ready to see his own son lifeless.
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Local veteran with PTSD killed in police standoff
KSHB.com
Andres Gutierrez
May 27, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A local veteran suffering from PTSD is killed in a police standoff and his parents said he sought help from the VA just two days before his death.

Issac Sims’ family said he spent every day last week coming to the VA hospital, but was told on Friday that he had to wait a month to be admitted for his PTSD. Sims, 26, was an Iraq war veteran.

On Sunday, Sims got into a fight with his father outside their home on 23rd and Lawndale. A neighbor called police when Sims fired gunshots.

When officers arrived, they decided to call in the SWAT team. The standoff ended when officers shot and killed Sims.

“I said ‘Don’t shoot him, I can get there without a problem,” Issac’s father Adrian said. In the aftermath, his mother Patricia attempted to save anything that belonged to her son from the gruesome scene, including his bloody shirt.

Army records show Sims served in Iraq for two tours. His family said he enlisted when he was 18 years old following his father who served in the Vietnam War and his grandfather who served in the Korean War.
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Before everyone gets all about blaming Retired U.S. Army General Eric K. Shinseki, know this. In 1993 my husband was told to "come back" because there were no beds for him. None of this is new. After all these years, all the lives lost after all the money the Congress has funded, when the hell will the Veterans Affairs Committees actually take their jobs seriously enough to actually fix this?

UPDATE

Veteran sought VA hospital treatment days before death
KSHB 41 News
Andres Gutierrez
6:59 PM, May 28, 2014
26 mins ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo - Patricia Sims struggles with the loss of her son Issac, shot when he pointed an assault rifle at police on Sunday.

“I can't believe I don't have my son, I miss him more than anything, I miss his noise,” she said.

The 26-year-old served in the U.S. Army for six years and what he witnessed during the two combat tours in Iraq left him with invisible wounds.

“An IED had exploded, he had body parts in front of him, he picked up all the body parts that stays with you,” Patricia said.

Army psychiatrists diagnosed Sims with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"He's been messed up since he left Iraq," his mother said.

Sims' behavior changed when he returned home last April. His mother said Sims would drive in the family's Humvee pretending Kansas City streets were Iraq's rugged terrain. According to his mother, at times, the veteran resorted to inhaling aerosols to escape reality.

In April, a judge put him on probation for two counts of domestic violence and ordered him to seek treatment for his PTSD.
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Lakeland triple-murder suspect captured in Tennessee

UPDATE

Polk County triple-murder suspect dies after standoff in Tennessee
David Eugene Smith in standoff with SWAT
By Andrea Dennis
UPDATED 5:50 PM EDT May 27, 2014

We need to start thinking about something very carefully. It is a question that needs to finally be answered. How does a soldier go from risking his life for others then turn around and murder someone? How does this happen? When you consider this part of a terrible story, "The sheriff said Eugene Smith served in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq and Afghanistan, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and had been Baker Acted in the past." we need to know how mental health professionals let it get this bad.

Lakeland triple-murder suspect captured in Tennessee after wounding himself
MyNews13
May 27, 2014

LAKELAND
The man wanted in the murders of three people in south Lakeland over the weekend was captured in Knoxville, Tenn., Tuesday after he wounded himself during a SWAT standoff, authorities said.

Eugene Smith, 27, was apprehended at a Days Inn motel, according to authorities. His condition was not immediately known.

Knox County Sheriff's Office Maj. Mike MacLean said Smith called the agency around 11 a.m. and said he wanted to commit "suicide by cop." A SWAT team and other law enforcement members then responded to the motel.
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Another veteran killed in standoff with SWAT

Police: Veteran killed in standoff once treated for mental health issues
KOB Eyewitness News 4
By: Jen Samp
05/06/2014

The family of Armand Martin says he was a colonel in the Air Force, but in the 27 years of his military career, they say he never saw combat until this weekend.

Albuquerque police said Martin fired shots from inside this house in Ventana Ranch on Saturday, but that officers did not return fire. Instead, they said crisis negotiators tried talking to him for several hours.

APD Deputy Chief Erica Garcia said Martin had been treated at the VA hospital for significant mental health related issues.
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Over 400 U.S. police officers die by their own hands every year

As you read this article, keep in mind, the number one career veterans seek after the military, is in law enforcement.

When cops kill themselves: Officers help each other through crises
Twin Cities.com
By Emily Welker
Forum News Service
POSTED: 04/06/2014

FARGO -- Tony Krogh remembers the day he stopped for a pack of cigarettes on the way home from an armed standoff.

It had been a rough day for the SWAT team and Krogh, a corporal in the Cass County sheriff's department.

A former Army infantryman sprayed a south Fargo neighborhood with a rain of bullets from his gun collection. Then, as officers tried to deliver a negotiating phone, the 26-year-old suspect looked out his door at them, went back inside his apartment and opened fire through the walls.

Two hours after getting off work, Krogh had smoked the entire pack -- even though he'd given up cigarettes 17 years previously.

It was the first day he remembers noticing what he now believes, based on the advice of a veterans' health counselor, were the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"When you see some of the garbage that law enforcement sees, how do you expect that not to affect them?" Krogh asked.

More resources generally are available now than there once were for law enforcement officers struggling with mental health issues, including the sort of peer assistance crisis teams that Krogh helped to start in Cass County.

But when it comes to suicide, it's not entirely clear how much greater the risk is for law enforcement officers -- an issue that has taken on relevance in the region after two officers killed themselves in a little more than a year.

COMPARISONS DIFFICULT

The most recent of the two area police suicides was that of Lt. Jeffrey Skuza, 47, a 23-year veteran of the Fargo Police Department who died March 11.

Officer Chad Jutz of the Detroit Lakes Police Department killed himself at age 40 in May 2012 after 19 years with the department.

Some mental health advocates in the law enforcement community, such as the National Police Suicide Foundation, argue that upwards of 400 U.S. police officers die by their own hands every year.
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Standoffs with veterans should not happen

UPDATE Add this to the rest

Iraq War vet suffering from PTSD arrested in Troutdale shooting, police say
The Oregonian
By Lynne Terry
February 28, 2014


Troutdale police have arrested an Iraq War vet who shot himself in the foot early Friday.

They said the incident happened about 6:20 a.m. at a residence in the 1400 block of Southeast Chapman Street. They said Derick Morgan, 30, a vet suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, whipped out a gun in front of his wife and pointed it at his head, threatening to shoot himself.
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Standoffs with veterans should not happen
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 27, 2014

In South Carolina a police officer shot a Vietnam veteran after a traffic stop. Why? He was reaching for his cane. He's disabled. In San Diego another Vietnam veteran, reportedly suicidal, was shot and killed. In Pennsylvania a SWAT standoff with another veteran ended differently. The veteran was taken into custody.

What makes all of these stories worse is they all happened this week.

Earlier in February in San Diego: A retired Navy petty officer who was shot by a San Diego policeman after raising a military assault rifle in his direction was sentenced Tuesday to probation and ordered to continue counseling and treatment for mental health issues, including a form of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. A report about a Marine in Chicago, a veteran had his "final firefight was on his suburban street 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Chicago, and the enemy was local police. When it ended, he'd traded 17 years in uniform for 16 years behind bars."

Last month a Gulf War veteran was taken into custody in Corpus Christi. In December a Kentucky National Guardsman was arrested and charged in January.

As police increasingly face off with veterans from many different wars, it is clear that these situations should have never happened.

Police officers face split second decisions facing off with veterans in crisis. While some do end peacefully the outcome is never cut and dry. In one state, the veteran is taken to the VA for help but in other states they are put on trial, if they are not killed during the standoff.

Last week I was speaking to a police officer asking him some questions about what they do in situations like the above. He told me they are trained and retrained to know when to call in Crisis Teams. They are training on new tactical weapons that will not kill the veteran.

A veteran in that much of a crisis situation should never happen but as there seem to be more and more, there needs to be a country wide approach to help the police officers take care of the veterans as well as protect other officers and the public until this country does what they need to do to take care of all veterans!

SWAT standoff with veteran ends peacefully

Oakmont standoff ends with suspect in custody
Man barricaded in home on California Avenue after domestic dispute
WTAE News
by Kelly Brennan
Feb 27, 2014

OAKMONT, Pa. —Authorities took a man into custody Wednesday after a standoff that involved Oakmont police and the Allegheny County SWAT team.

The incident began around 10:30 p.m. after a domestic dispute at a duplex on California Avenue, police said. When Oakmont police arrived, a woman ran from the home and said she was in danger. As she ran back inside a man could be heard shouting profanities, telling officers not to enter, according to Oakmont Police Chief Dave DiSanti.

DiSanti said the woman was the man's cousin. He was staying with her as a guest.

"He said, 'If you enter the premises, the war will be on,'" DiSanti said.

Police immediately set up a perimeter around the home, evacuated four nearby homes and called in the Allegheny County SWAT team.
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SWAT Officer Overcoming the Nightmare of Traumatic Stress

"I don't like going to sleep. I'm afraid of what is going to happen once I fall asleep. I don't like what I'm thinking, I don't like my dreams, I haven't liked one of my dreams in 15 years."

On Steve Gordon's first day as a SWAT officer, he was involved in one of the longest and bloodiest shootouts in American police history. Since then he has been on over 1500 SWAT missions.

"In my profession you have to see a lot of death and despair. You have to see those victims of crime. You have to deal with, you know, the families. You have to listen to the screaming parents and it's not something you can just walk away from. And then the problems come. Isolation, substance abuse, shunning others, not trusting anybody. I know more people that have committed suicide than have actually been killed by bad people. Maybe they were dealing with the same things I've had to deal with. No one gives them the solutions to the problems they're having."

In January 2013, Steve learned Transcendental Meditation, along with a group of veterans and first-responders.

"To watch a guy that looked like he was the walking dead to a week later actually see some kind of life in their eyes, to watch them change in front of my eyes, that's what really sold me on it. And then as we did it more and more I felt a calmness. I was transforming with them. That's when I realized it worked. I'm just getting what I always wanted, and that's seeing people get better. If I can help somebody go through the experience that I had, then I want to be there for them. You want to give yourself a gift? Do this. Try to help yourself for a while. Don't poison yourself with alcohol or drugs or thoughts of suicide, just give yourself this one gift. A lot of guys and women are hurting themselves over what they've seen and what they've done and they're not seeing a way out. They're seeing the world black and white and this program can put color in it for them."

For more information please visit David Lynch Foundation

Soldier home on leave for Dad's funeral shot by Deputies

Sheriff's office: Soldier was threat to deputies
FOX Phoenix
Posted: Nov 22, 2013

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Authorities say an Army soldier fatally wounded by a Pima County sheriff's deputy was suicidal, holding two guns and posed a threat to officers when a deputy shot him during a standoff.

The shooting occurred Wednesday after deputies responded to a call from Marty Maiden II about his intention to commit suicide found him barricaded inside a residence.

The 20-year-old was home on emergency leave from Afghanistan to attend the funeral of his father.

The father shot himself at the same residence during a similar SWAT standoff on Oct. 31.
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Suicidal Veteran Asks Police Negotiators to Speak With NBC 6's Willard Shepard

Suicidal Veteran Asks Police Negotiators to Speak With NBC 6's Willard Shepard
As police negotiators tried to keep a Vietnam veteran from jumping off a highway ledge Monday morning, the man told officers he wanted to speak with reporter Willard Shepard.
NBC 6 South Florida
By Alexandra Leon
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2013

A suicidal Vietnam veteran facing deportation straddled himself over a ledge on a South Florida highway ramp with a rope around his neck in an hours-long standoff before surrendering to authorities Monday morning.

As police negotiators tried to keep 59-year-old Fredy Gutierrez from jumping, the vet told officers he wanted to speak with NBC 6 reporter Willard Shepard, an Air Force officer who had been in combat over Iraq.

"As I was driving to the police command center this morning, I was able to communicate with Mr. Gutierrez through the police negotiator who had him on the phone," Shepard said. "It was very clear Gutierrez had reached a point where he couldn’t take it anymore and later said to me he prepared to die today."

Shepard said that he spoke to Gutierrez in military terms as he was on the phone with him, trying to make him see that taking his own life or harming other wouldn't improve his situation and would only make matters worse for his family.
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Florida Vietnam Veteran facing deportation in custody after police standoff

Veteran in police custody after standoff on Florida Turnpike
Miami Herald
November 11, 2013

Davie police and the Broward County Sheriff's SWAT team assisted at the scene. Davie police said Guiterres, who served in Vietnam, was upset because he is facing deportation. His appeal is pending.

A military veteran who threatened to hurt himself brought traffic to a halt on the Interstate 595 and Florida Turnpike interchange Monday morning.

The Florida Highway Patrol said negotiators were brought in to talk with 59-year-old Fredy Gutierres from Sunrise. Talks ended peacefully three hours later when the man was taken into custody.

Guiterres was spotted near a white panel van straddling the guard rail on the southbound Turnpike exit ramp to eastbound I-595. He had a sign on the van that read “HIPPOCRATE (sic) TRAITORS.” Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky said he had a rifle with an American flag on it leaning against the van.
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Marine veteran taken to hospital after SWAT standoff

Police ID man involved in SWAT standoff at Big I
Albuquerque Journal
By Nicole Perez
Journal Staff Writer

5:20 p.m. — A former Marine marksman with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder was identified by police as the man responsible for an eight-hour SWAT situation at the Big I Friday night.

Jason Kerns, 37, spent eight months in jail after pleading not guilty to shooting at a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and seriously injuring the pilot in 2005, but the charges were dropped in 2006 when bullet casings from the crash site didn’t match Kerns’ rifle.

Kerns suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, a spinal cord injury and depression according to a 2006 Journal story.

Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Simon Drobik said Kerns was retrieved from the vehicle around 4 a.m. Saturday morning and didn’t say a word to police or his lawyer, so he was transported to the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation.

“There wasn’t even an interview,” Drobik said. “It’s out of our hands, they (the hospital) can keep him for 10 minutes or 10 days.”

Drobik said it’s standard practice to send suspects for a psychiatric evaluation when they don’t openly try to harm an officer or the public. Drobik said Kerns could still be charged in relation to the vehicle crash that sparked the situation, but currently faces no charges.
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Friends of Ex-Marine Behind SWAT Standoff Say PTSD Played A Factor

Friends of Ex-Marine Behind SWAT Standoff Say PTSD Played A Factor
Everything Lubbock.com
August 27, 2013

A SWAT standoff outside a Central Lubbock home Monday night, ended peacefully, but tonight friends of the ex-marine behind it say post traumatic stress disorder played a major factor.

Jordan Bailey has known Gabriel Edmeier for two years and said when they first started hanging out she knew things weren't right.

"I knew that he had kinda had some emotional problems from being in the war," said Bailey. "But I honestly never thought anything like that would have happened."

Gabriel Edmeier, 28, barricaded himself in his home on the 2200 block of 33rd street Monday, where Lubbock police say he threatened to kill himself or anyone who entered.

LPD said Edmeier is an ex-marine experienced in combat and was armed with semi-automatic weapons and body armor.
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SWAT standoff ends peacefully

Veteran's standoff with SWAT ends peacefully

Headland shooting suspect likely suffered from PTSD
Dothan Eagle
June 21, 2013

Headland Police Chief Mark Jones said a 27-year-old man likely suffered from post traumatic stress disorder from former military service when he fired an AK-47 toward police officers on Thursday.

(name removed)

No one was injured in the shooting.

Jones outlined some of the details Friday of the shooting that brought more than 40 law enforcement officers to Headland, including three different SWAT teams.

“He was at home by himself. I think he’s got some psychological issues. I think he’s former military, and might be suffering from PTSD,” Jones said. “I think it was just in his mind somebody else was there.”
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Veteran with PTSD sent to VA after police standoff

Man in Townsend standoff ordered to enter VA treatment
Sentinel and Enterprise.com
By Katina Caraganis
Posted: 05/25/2013

AYER -- A Townsend man arrested Tuesday after police said he barricaded himself inside his home was released on his own personal recognizance Thursday and ordered to enter a treatment program at a Veterans Administration Hospital.

Bowers' wife called police and told officers he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and hasn't been taking his medication.
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Port St. Lucie police officer shot during standoff

Port St. Lucie police officer shot during standoff
SWAT situation lasts 6 hours
UPDATED 5:49 PM EST Feb 28, 2013

Injured officer has nine shotgun pellets in his leg

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —A police officer is recovering after being shot during a standoff with a man who's now facing serious charges, investigators said.
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Slain Riverside police officer identified as Marine veteran

Slain Riverside police officer identified as Marine veteran, father of 2
Michael Crain was stationed at Camp Pendleton
Posted: 02/11/2013
Last Updated: 12 hours ago
SAN DIEGO
Michael Crain, 34, was the Riverside police officer allegedly ambushed by Christopher Dorner while on routine patrol last week, Riverside's police chief revealed Sunday.

Crain was an Inland Empire native with "a big heart" and loved spending time with wife Regina and their children Ian, 10, and Kaitlyn, 4.

Crain left "an unforgettable impression" on everyone he met, according to Riverside police Lt. Guy Toussaint.

"He loved attending dance recitals with his daughter and coaching his son's baseball team," Toussaint said. "He also loved his classic 1970 Chevy Nova, which he spent his spare time restoring."

Crain, a former active Marine and war veteran, was publicly identified Sunday for the first time by the department. His name had been withheld due to concerns about the danger presented by Dorner, whose location remained a mystery on Sunday.
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Las Vegas Police Officer Allegedly Shot Family, Burned Home, Killed Self

Hans Walters Murder-Suicide: Las Vegas Police Officer Allegedly Shot Family, Burned Home, Killed Self
The Huffington Post
By Andres Jauregui
Posted: 01/23/2013

Nevada police said that Lt. Hans Walters, a 20-year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, killed his family and set fire to his home before fatally shooting himself on Jan. 21.

A standoff at Walters' Boulder City, Nev., home occurred Monday, after an unidentified male caller claimed to a 911 dispatcher that he had killed his wife and child, set his house aflame and would "injure any officer that attempted to come to the scene."

Units from multiple departments responded, including a Las Vegas SWAT team. Officers reportedly encountered Walters in front of his house with a handgun. According to CNN, Walters ignored commands from police to drop his weapon and, instead, returned to the burning house.

Authorities believe the off-duty lieutenant shot himself after he entered the house.

The Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed Tuesday that Walter's 46-year-old wife, Kathryn, and 5-year-old son, Maximilian, each died of a gunshot wound to the head.
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Murder-suicide has East St. Louis in shock

'So out of character': ESL murder, suicide has city in shock
Published: November 23, 2012
By CAROLYN P. SMITH
News-Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS — The 69-year-old man and 66-year-old woman who died in a murder-suicide Thursday in the 700 block of North 75th Street have been identified as Bobby Stewart and Dorothy McCaskill.

East St. Louis Police received a call at 6 p.m. to respond to what they believed was a hostage situation at the couple's residence. Once there, they called in the Illinois State Police SWAT team. The next several hours were intense and police used extreme caution in an attempt to keep the situation from escalating.
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