On Man who fired shots at deputies pleads not guilty to charges
Posted on May 11 at 5:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This guy needs mental help and NOT criminal charges. That is what is wrong with this justice system. We are incarcerating people who commit crimes because of mental illnesses, and then, instead of treating the illness, we are COMPOUNDING the problem by throwing the people in jail and ruining their lives further with criminal charges. This guy was suicidal and CLEARLY not intending to hurt anyone but himself. HE was the only one hurt in the situation. NOW, I agree that someone COULD have gotten hurt, but charging him criminally is NOT going to fix the problem. TRUST ME!!!!
On Janesville standoff with suicidal subject resolved
Posted on November 14 at 9:44 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
this story is all to real for me. I was suicidal and had an 8 hour standoff with the police. I agree, that aiming guns at someone does not help their mental status BUT the police do have to protect themselves. However, they knew the situation and were informed by my family and others that I was only a threat to myself, that I was an upstanding citizen with no prior record, owned my own home, had a professional job etc... however after about 8 hours they shot tear gas into my home and before I could even get out, SHOT ME while I was UNARMED through my bedroom window. If that makes sense to anyone, please let me know. They were aiming to kill, however I'm glad he missed. I am now grateful for my life. They were dispatched to HELP me but ended up shooting me unnecessarily. The problem then lies with them trying to cover their "butts" so... they trumped up a bunch of felony charges on me and twisted the truth ALOT to the media to make them look justified in their actions. Instead of getting proper help and getting my life back together, I was thrown in jail for a LONG time... for a mental illness... for a suicide attempt. and NOW I am a felon for the rest of my life... It's going to haunt me forever in every aspect of my life.... jobs, schools, etc. I am now back in college finishing my undergrad. I was a senior at my last school but since it was a private school, they wouldn't take me back. I then had to transfer to a state school which set me back many years... however, I am an upstanding citizen now and I was before this incident. I am involved on campus and get straight As... HOWEVER I had to go through 2 years of unnecessary hell because of the felony charges when I should have just gotten A LOT of help (inpatient/outpatient) etc. Instead I became MORE depress in jail and the thought of 45 years in prison hanging over my head. It was all completely unnecessary. The legal system and law enforcement system is messed up. In my mind, what they should have done, what would have been far more beneficial for me and for SOCIETY would have been this. #1 Mandatory inpatient hospital stay for min 6 months until I was stable, then 6 more months of supervised outpatient... then IF I DIDN"T comply with that, THEN I would be charged!! Trust me, it would have ruined my life FAR less and I would be a more productive member of society if that would have been the case. But NO our legal system is solely punitive... but PUNISHMENT is not always the answer! as any parent would know... right? OK I'm done with my rant. Thank God I'm alive. Thank God this guy is too!
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On Man who fired shots at deputies pleads not guilty to charges
Posted on May 11 at 5:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
It's all political. People think that treating people for mental illness is letting them "get away" with their "crimes" and therefore being "too soft" on crime. It's all political. It would cost the state LESS money to treat individuals that commit crimes because of mental illnesses and there would be a HIGHER success rate and a LOWER chance that these individuals would do something like this again. If someone is suicidal, sending their life further down a spiral will NOT help them recover. THE END. Protect our citizens and our police officers by doing the RIGHT THING and not the politically popular thing!!!