Alabama Vet Killed by Texas Deputy

In an odd twist of fate, one Alabama veteran was laid to rest on September 11, the anniversary of the date that sent him down the path to war, according to the AP.

Damian Daniels is said to have served in Afghanistan before he returned to the United States and moved to Texas, where he began to establish himself.

Unfortunately, Daniels is said to have started having paranoid hallucinations. His brother sought help from police, who ultimately killed Daniels.

While a sheriff defended the actions of the officers involved in Daniels’ death, other officials in Texas said the killing never should have happened.

Daniels is said to have suffered from a mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder, but there were said to be no signs of more severe mental problems until late August.

As it is often stated, this probably was not a call to which law enforcement should have responded. In such cases, it would probably be better for mental health workers to at least accompany responding police officers.

All too often, mental illness and the lack of understanding the mind of a mentally ill person lead officers to react quickly to what they perceive to be impending danger. Unfortunately, this leaves the patient dead rather than receiving treatment. This applies not only to those who've served in the military, but there are also some who develop PTSD following drastic events as well as those whose mental illness is a result of drug use or any other form of disassociation.

It's too late for Daniels to receive the help he needed, but perhaps his death can serve as an incentive to assign mental health workers to law enforcement to prevent such instances from happening again.

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