Jason Blaylock – Mississippi – Officer-Involved Shooting

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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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’ vehicles

·       “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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