Family Of Woman In DC Chase Says She Did Not Deserve To Die

[hrmjustin]

NY1News

The family of the woman who led Washington D.C. police on a chase Thursday says that despite her mental state, their sister did not deserve to die.

Miriam Carey's family gave a statement outside their Brooklyn home Friday night.

They want to know why police shot their sister when she was unarmed.

They also said they shouldn't have learned their sister was shot through news reports.

"We don't know why Miriam ended up going to DC. We don't know at that time if her depression contributed to her going and taking that ride. We don't know what was in her mind at that time," said Valeria Carey, Miriam Carey's sister. "There was some particular threat. Miriam was not firing any shots. There was no weapons. So we're still very confused as a family as to why she's not alive."

Read more at http://www.ny1.com/content/news/189968/family-of-woman-in-dc-chase-says-she-did-not-deserve-to-die

[madrchsod]

1. shoot first ask questions later...

it`s the militarization of the country's police force.

[hrmjustin]

3. The more I look at this the more questions I have and the authorities don't seem to want to

answer them.

[blm]

2. I will write this as a sister to a schizophrenic diagnosed 36 years ago.....

This is not an unexpected ending.

When schizophrenics are in a delusional state they are a significant danger to everyone around them. Several of my family members are lucky to be alive after dangerous encounters with her. My 13yo daughter will never know her aunt, based on the particular pattern of her delusions...one specifically believing that everything of mine is actually hers and that I somehow stole it from her. There were times when she grabbed young nieces and nephews and jumped in a car with them thinking she was a stunt driver who could handle anything. There were times she showed up at elementary schools screaming that they were all going to hell because they were not practicing traditional catholicism, terrifying students and teachers.

You cannot predict how dangerous they can become. Many a police officer in the area know her well. So do the hospitals.

My sister was certain on occasion that she belonged at Buckingham Palace, specifically to Princess Diana - had Diana visited Ohio at some point, or any of the Royal Family, we probably would have had to get my sister in some sort of lockdown.

Had my sister gone through the motions at the WH as their sister, not one of us in our family would be surprised at the outcome. They probably hadn't experienced such sever episodes in the past with their sister before this happened in DC. If they had they wouldn't be questioning the outcome. (And I loathe having to say that basic truth.)

Schizophrenia in a family member is one of the most painful circumstances a family can endure.

[hrmjustin]

5. I am so sorry to hear this. This must have been completely heartbreaking for you.

[blm]

7. From the earliest reports of the incident I expected it to be a mental illness...

and I expected it to be schizophrenia.

[hrmjustin]

9. I had the same thoughts as well after it was clear it was not terrorism.

[blm]

11. reading thru the threads, perhaps I should post my reply as a thread....

people quick to blame the police are just wrong in this instance.

[hrmjustin]

13. I think people have questions as I do. I don't think they were gun crazy. I understand they felt

there was a threat and there was a need to ask.

[Warpy]

12. Bipolar is no picnic, either.

But yes, schizophrenia is the worst of all possible mental illnesses, with drugs only partially successful at allowing people to hold jobs and live their lives without being terrorized by delusions. Most of the drugs have horrific side effects.

Most are not violent. In 25 years as a nurse, I met only one who really gave me the willies. It took him 10 years but he later went on a killing spree and gunned down 5 people.

ETA: One of my favorite patients from many, many years ago was Queen Elizabeth's elder sister, done out of the monarchy by jealous family. She went so far as to fake an Eliza Doolittle accent superimposed on backwoods North Carolina and went out of character only once when I knew her. That once was a lucid conversation with me during which she spoke with her own accent and told me she hadn't been a princess for years, she was just afraid of going home to her mean and ignorant family.

After a brief struggle with the ethics of the situation, I decided to forgo making a chart note about it and decided if she was lucid, she's the one who needed to tell the psychiatrists about it. I have to hope she did. I pointed out that her stay with her family was only until she found some sort of a job, and then she'd be free as a little birdie.

[blm]

14. Schizophrenia definitely has its degrees of severity. When it's bad it's really, REALLY bad.

I would say some of the teens who HAVE killed so seemingly heartlessly were likely in their early stages of schizophrenia, and it takes a while for the family to catch on.

Thank you for your efforts in the field and your understanding.

[hrmjustin]

24. Thank you for all you do for your patients.

[Warpy]

28. I'm retired so I don't do it any more

I just hope enough of my coworkers down the years picked up on my alternative way to deal with crazy patients.

It's not like any of them woke up one day and decided to be delusional, unlike Republicans.

[hrmjustin]

29. I hope they do as well. Nurses are the backbone of the medical care.

[Zambero]

4. Tragic as this episode is

The police has little choice other than the action they took. The weapon in this case was not a firearm but a vehicle. It's a miracle that the child in the car, cyclists, pedestrians, or other drivers were not killed as this person sped recklessly through the Capitol at 80+ MPH running through multiple red lights in the process. The police had no way of determining whether she was armed or not, armed with an explosive devise, or what her motivation was. She simply would not stop her actions despite efforts of law enforcement to cut her off. Public safety and security were obviously compromised during this incident. If she had stopped voluntarily she would still be alive, but her distressed mental state at the time appears to have precluded any rational behavior. Her family is understandably upset and will remember her for the many positive aspects of her life, but the positive memories of the person they knew and loved certainly did not resemble the actions of one whose life was cut short.

[hrmjustin]

6. I feel sorry for the officers that shot her. That has to be hard on them.

[dlwickham]

30. thank you

you're exactly right

[Warpy]

8. It's just a sad situation, all the way around

but where were they when she was spinning out of control and needed to be hospitalized? Where was her doctor? Did she even have a doctor?

Postpartum psychosis is ridiculously undertreated in this country. In Europe, major crimes committed by women with children under 2 years of age are investigated as possible postpartum psychosis.

Then again, this country is run by moralists who think any disease affecting the brain is a sign of laziness and moral laxity, just snap out of it!

[hrmjustin]

10. I believe she did get medical help and was improving for a period but the last six weeks she went

downhill again.

Your right about the fact this kind of depression does not get the attention it needs.

[blm]

15. Andrea Yates.

.

[Warpy]

16. She should never have gone to prison

not with a long and well established history of post partum psychosis and a husband who was a mink with a patriarchal religious axe to grind.

[hrmjustin]

17. That husband of hers was just as guilty IMO.

[kestrel91316]

31. He was MORE guilty. He didn't have a brain disease controlling his thoughts.

[hrmjustin]

32. Yes you are right. More guilty because he could see what was happening and did nothing.

[blm]

20. Exactly - I think fundie religions are the worst thing for anyone with

mental health vulnerabilities.

[hrmjustin]

22. I agree.

[hrmjustin]

19. They would have to sue in Federal Court.

[godai]

21. Hope that they do.

We'll probably never know all the details unless there is a lawsuit. They're in 'ongoing investigation' mode now which will delay information until they hope everyone forgets or moves on to the next disaster.

[hrmjustin]

23. The good thing is the family is saying they will demand answers so hopefully we will get answers.

[hrmjustin]

25. Kick.

[Ilsa]

26. No, she didn't deserve to die.

She deserved a chance at getting help.

But she also endangered the life of her child in the car with her, and she hurt a couple of police officers. I wish her family had been able to stop her before she created a situation that was so dangerous to herself and others.

[hrmjustin]

27. The whole thing was sad. They said she improved for awhile bbut that the last month or so

she went downhill fast.

[HooptieWagon]

33. Agreed.

The cops didn't know she was mentally ill, they probably didn't know she had a toddler in the car. They just reacted to stop an imminent danger. A tragic case, all around. Perhaps she shouldn't have had access to a car, although since she went downhill fast maybe it wasn't so apparent.

[pansypoo53219]

34. in the OLD DAYS, they would have locked her up for her own safety. w/ out shut down.

others could have been killed. how far does the rights of the mentally ill gonna take us? how many mass shootings.