Tucson shooting victim arrested for death threat against AZ State Rep Proud(R)

[RamboLiberal]

Toward the end of the town hall meeting Saturday morning, one of the shooting victims, J. Eric Fuller, took exception to comments by two of the speakers: Ariz. state Rep. Terri Proud, a Dist. 26 Republican, and Tucson Tea Party spokesman Trent Humphries.

According to sheriff's deputies at the scene, Fuller took a photo of Humphries and said, "You're Dead."

Deputies immediately escorted Fuller from the room.

Pima County Sheriff's spokesman Jason Ogan said later Saturday that Fuller has been charged with threats and intimidation and he also will be charged with disorderly conduct.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=13849741

[LisaL]

1. That's the same guy who went to visit Loughner's parents

to "forgive them" but they weren't home.
It sounds like he is having a tough time dealing with the situation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Yes, I hope the sheriff contacts mental health

As well as the DA.

He is having issues and it may even be survivors guilt

[Catherina]

41. I believe he was already having issues, before this. He's a disabled vet

from the Vietnam era on disability for PTSD. Jared's rampage is the last thing he needed. I hope he gets the help too.

[movonne]

43. maybe the tea party might find out what is feels like getting threaths..and

just maybe we are getting tired of being on the wrong end of threaths...not that is was the right thing to do...but

[cali]

2. idiot. he just lost all credibility.

[RamboLiberal]

3. Sounds like he needs an intervention of some counseling

And I hope he gets it.

[cali]

4. you're right.

[Cetacea]

14. How compassionate

I wonder how you would handle what this person has been through.

[Kurovski]

29. Dammit!

Now I have to go scrub a website. :D

[Bluerthanblue]

44. he's a human being who just went through shit-

and the guy he supposedly 'threatened' is Trent Humphries- who has publicly claimed that Gabby Giffords is responsible for the shootings, and that he (humphries) and his tea-party are victims as well.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/11/arizona-shootings-tea-party

What Mr.Fuller said was really unfortunate, but he's no 'idiot'.

http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-national/arizona-shooting-victim-arrested-after-a-threat-to-tea-party-leader

[FreeState]

5. All week this guy has been going fast off the deep end

If you look at the articles about him and his actions this week (tying to visit the parents, calling in to the radio, driving him self to the hospital after being shot etc) its evident to me he is having some issues and more than likely needs some help with all this. PTSD?

[cali]

6. his behavior has been a bit odd, even manic.

[FreeState]

7. I almost said something when he went to see the parents and some of his statements

I was hoping I was wrong and the guy was just a little bit of an attention seeker, but now Im leaning more towards PTSD, I cant imagine the stress one goes under after such a situation.

[JI7]

11. i think he a Military Vet also and might already have had PTSD from that war

and then for this attack to happen like this might have really affected him badly.

[Catherina]

42. +1. Disabled for the PTSD. n/t

[EFerrari]

18. I did.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4697352&mesg_id=4697605

Imho, all of the survivors should be under some form of observation. What the hell kind of country have we become that something so simple and obvious isn't done.

[seabeyond]

19. you would think huh. i would think that they would be offered help. nt

[LisaL]

8. It was pretty obvious he wasn't dealing with this well, wasn't it?

Not to everybody here, though.

[Vickers]

10. PTSD was my first thought too, but doesn't it (generally) take a while

to manifest?

:shrug:

[JI7]

12. but what if he already had PTSD from serving in war before?

maybe it doesn't take so long . but instead of a dream or something it was real.

[Vickers]

15. Yeah, and then this event triggered (sorry) it. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

16. Good point

Trauma survivors seem to be especially susceptible to effects of subsequent traumatic experience.

I remember reading a story in the mid-'80s about train engineers involved in fatal grade crossing accidents. There often was psychological trauma to the engineers, but they found that engineers who were Vietnam veterans were especially susceptible to effects of the new trauma.

[EFerrari]

23. Not everyone manages these incidents well.

Whether they already have some kind of DX or not.

[Ilsa]

34. He could have PTSD now. Some forms of it include hypervigilance.

Sounds like he's gone overboard trying to protect himself from threats by threatening those people he sees as dangerous to himself. I think he needs help, not incarceration or fines.

But that's just my opinion.

[EFerrari]

17. I could hear it in his voice in Amy's interview with him.

I hope to god they take care of him.

[JI7]

9. i feel bad for him, i think he needs help, anyone know if Obama spoke to him ?

maybe speak to some who lost loved ones and were injured in this to try to get help in dealing with this.

[wndycty]

13. Other than saying he obviously need help I am not sure how the VICTIM of a shooting. . .

. . .is supposed to act, especially given the attention and conversation surrounding this particular shooting.

[sabrina 1]

20. And especially since he was furious when it happened as he

was campaigning for Giffords and was aware of the threats and attacks on her throughout the campaign. He probably feels they failed to protect her also. The night of the shooting he believed all that rhetoric had finally resulted in violence. And he's a disabled vet probably with past experiences of violence that being shot at might have triggered.

He said himself he was traumatized. He is a good person, but is angry obviously at the hateful atmosphere created by the right and it has driven him to the edge, obviously. That does not make him a bad person. I see him as another victim of Az's hate filled climate, not just physically, but emotionally.

He needs help, not jail and I hope he gets. The rightwing hate machine has far reaching effects and something needs to be done to stop it before more people get hurt.

[seabeyond]

21. +1. nt

[EFerrari]

24. If anyone took mental health seriously, he'd have gotten an evaluation

BEFORE he was discharged in the first place.

[sabrina 1]

50. True, I did wonder how he came to out so soon after being shot

twice. The mental health system in this country is abysmal. Speaking from personal experience with a family member, even when the family and friends try to get help, there is very little available. He definitely should have been evaluated considering the trauma he had just been through and the fact that he is a disabled vet.

Btw, you were very observant regarding his interview with Amy ~

[EFerrari]

22. There was a report that counselors were being brought in

but I suspect it didn't happen or else someone would have been monitoring Fuller even in a casual way.

It's disgusting that anyone would arrest him instead of giving him the medical care he obviously needed.

[Cid_B]

26. Really...

When does his clock run out? Can he make death threats against anyone or just folks from the right?

Does it expire after 14 days?

He threatened a public official in a public way with death... That's what he gets.

Edit: Thought about it... I imagine that if he threatened DU local sensation Sheriff Dupnik for his perceived failures to protect and/or investigate he would not receive so much sympathy here.

[seabeyond]

27. i dont have a problem cops took him out of there. i hope there are considerations and help

provided.

[EFerrari]

28. You must be joking. Traumatized people have all kinds of reactions.

This is one of them. And he should have been screened before he was discharged in the first fucking place.

Duh.

[Cid_B]

30. Screened for what?

You going to hold him in custody for perceived PTSD on the off chance he might do "something"?

The question is whether he gets a pass for threatening a public official or not...

Duh.

[EFerrari]

31. Screened for a mental health reaction to a near death experience.

Again, DUH.

They ALL should have been screened. Some people don't make threats. They just quietly commit suicide.

Pass, my @ss. It's basic after trauma care.

[LisaL]

32. So lets say the victims are screened (against their will?)

and then what? Involuntary 72 hour hold?

[EFerrari]

36. Some reporter at the scene said, grief counselors would be brought in.

It doesn't look like that happened or, that those services were extended to everybody.

And yes, they ALL should have been evaluated in some way. At the first contact and then, after that, for the first 48-72 hours at a minimum.

We're unteachable if the survivors of this shooting, committed by someone with untreated mental illness, are not even looked at for their own reactions. Good god.

[LisaL]

37. I am going to guess that at least some of the victims wouldn't

want to be mentally evaluated. Would you prefer they be forced?

[EFerrari]

48. You screen someone for mental health

just as you would for any other kind of serious injury after an event like this one.

That doesn't mean a padded room.

[Bluerthanblue]

51. it was taken as a threat- and while his words

were unfortunate, and his anger and frustration were strong, I do not believe there was any REAL or credible danger aimed at Mr.Humphries.

Yes, Mr.Fuller SHOULD 'get a pass'. He should have access to help (which he is being given now) and his comments and actions should be looked at in context-

Would I have compassion for him if the person he 'threatened' was Sheriff Dupnik? Yes- I would. But I also doubt that he would have felt the need to do so, because Sheriff Dupnik doesn't claim that Gabby Giffords is to blame for the shootings, or whine about how the 'Tea-party' is a victim of the tragedy.

:shrug:

[goddess40]

25. Who got threatened?

Didn't threaten the State Rep he threatened the tea party spokesman.

[snagglepuss]

33. Surrounded by 24 hour hate spewing drivel and 24 hour evangelical drivel

would be enough to drive any sane person over the edge let alone a person who not only witnessed a horrific crime but is also a victim.

Eric Fuller is in a very toxic environment. On one hand all god talk and otoh all hate and violence. The RW is absolutely schizophrenic.

[Tsiyu]

38. Didn't Bloody Boehner say "He's a dead man"

about one of his fellow House members ( a Dem) who was running for re-election? A Dem with three small kids?


How come he's not in jail?

[The Doctor.]

39. Hmm... it seems almost fair.

Sure, it's absolutely wrong, but maybe it's fair to act exactly the same as so many teabaggers do.

These fuckers love to propagate murderous fantasies. It is entirely fair (not right) that they find themselves (or their representatives) facing those same threats.

They want escalation against liberals. They bet that liberals are too civil to resort to violence. For the most part, they are right... so they will continue to ratchet up the rhetoric and endanger lives.

The only question is; 'Will this road to incivility be traveled faster with or without retaliation?'.


I vote for 'no retaliation', but I really don't know which will stall the progression.

[Odin2005]

40. The wingnuts have been all over this.

[Catherina]

46. I'm so sad. We've all lost a great opportunity to unite and demand funding for mental health

What's the score? Tit or tat now?

[pinboy3niner]

45. BREAKING on CNN: Fuller has been involuntarily committed

More to come...

[Catherina]

47. I have to hold my tongue because it was clear from day 1 he wasn't stable.

And I feel an immense sense of sadness and anger right now.

[pinboy3niner]

49. I agree

He definitely seemed traumatized, based on his interview and subsequent behavior. At least he'll be under care, now.