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- Another day at the office -
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Monday, July 11, 2005
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Background: Several months ago we had a shooting death of a 13 year old boy. It was supposedly accidental, but after some ballistic and forensic evidence came back it pointed otherwise. It's classified as a homicide, but no charges yet.
Current: The mother of the victim is requesting a copy of the 911 call that came in. I have the tape sitting here in my office and after reviewing it, I'm very hesitant to release it to her.
Play by Play: (Brief synopsis) We have a boy here who's been shot. Dispatcher confirms what was said. Boy is still breathing. Minutes go by. Boy's pulse is weakening, dispatchers keeps caller (suspect's mother) calm while reassuring her help is on the way, minutes go by. Mother of suspect gets the brilliant idea to send suspect (her 11 year old son) to the victim's house to notify parents. Minutes go by. Victim no longer has pulse, not breathing. Mother starts CPR, with instructions being given by 911 dispatcher. Minutes go by. Mother of victim shows up on scene. Mother of victim is freaking out, hysterical, as expected. Mother screaming for her son to wake up. Mother grabs phone from suspect mother. WHERE THE F*CK IS THE AMBULANCE? Dispatch reassures her they're on the way. Deputy shows up on scene. Deputy asssists husband of victim's mother (stay with me here) with CPR. Minutes go by. Ambulance shows up.
Current, again: Mother is in a borderline state of psychosis today. She's preparing to film a video presentation on gun safety to be shown at schools, potentially across the nation. She wants 911 tape for part of the video. School Resource Officer and I review 911 tape, again. Unanimous decision. We'll let mother listen to it, if she is sure she wants to, then help her pick out parts to be used in the video.
5 minutes ago: Got call from mother of victim, who I stay in regular contact with. She's crying, hysterically. I ask her if she's ok, to which she tells me no. She's trying to get in to see her Psychologist, but because Victim's Compensation hasn't paid her bill from when this doctor saw her in the hospital they won't see her. I ask her if she's suicidal, or thinks she needs to be Baker Acted, which is a semi voluntary admittance to a psych unit. She isn't, she's just fed up. Fed up with the 'system'. Fed up that a Psychiatrist, of all doctors, won't see her when she's in this emotional state, because of a bill that LEGALLY she is not responsible for, as a victim of a crime.
Is it me, or is there a system breakdown here? Ethically, this doctor should see her, but because of financial reasons he refuses. And here we have people like Tom Cruise saying Psychiatry is horse manure. Obviously he's never been a victim.
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1 Comments:
I'm going to have to let this blog sink in a little before commenting. I think I may have done a good job at following along. I stayed with you but it was a struggle. Horse manure...smells...its messy...and probably takes like...crap. I'm with you. Horse manure.
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