When an officer-involved shooting occurs, we often hear a lot about the victim, but what happens to the person who pulled the trigger?
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North American Game Warden Museum
Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH
International Wildlife Crimestoppers
Here’s what we discuss:
- Officer-involved shooting: no one knew how to handle it
- Systemic problems
- You’re never the same person
- One trauma can be a huge setback
- Fit for duty
- Stigma created by the word “homicide” in media
- Called to investigate a suspected night hunter
- Suspect fired at a citizen
- The chase
- Suspect stops, then rams Blaylock’s truck and flees
- Vehicle does not stop at a roadblock
- Suspect again rams officers’ trucks
- “I’m not making it home tonight.”
- Less a decision than a reaction
- Driver was a 15-year-old male
- Praying for the driver
- A helpless, solitary feeling
- Driver recovered, and was later convicted only of night hunting
- Officer Blaylock is immediately cleared of wrongdoing
- Months of interviews and uncertainty
- A single counselling session
- “You have to talk about it. You cannot hold it in.”
- Nearly eleven months off work
- Stress and its impacts on the body
- The entire family is affected
- Friends – and even fellow officers – don’t know what to say
- Law enforcement, PTSD and alcoholism
- It’s okay to not be tough
- Subjects went on to commit more felonies
- “We don’t know how to handle needing a helping hand.”
- The importance of being proactive
- Learning what to expect, how to heal, and how to help
Credits
Hosts: Wayne Saunders and John Nores
Producer: Jay Ammann
Art & Design: Ashley Hannett
Research / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches
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