Nevada Soldier With PTSD Prescribed 14 Drugs Before Police Shootout

"We can offer jail diversion programs to drug addicts - but we can't offer jail diversion programs to Veterans who are first time offenders" - Sue Lamoureux, wife of decorated Combat Vet

(LAS VEGAS, Nv.) - Sue Lamoureux's dedication to her husband Pat, an Iraq combat veteran incarcerated for a shooting that happened Sept. 19, 2008, in Pahrump, Nevada, is more than steadfast. He has been locked down since that fateful night.

Pat survived really awful circumstances while serving in Iraq. He's haunted by the memory of a girl in her early teens who blew herself up near his heavy equipment transport truck. He said she, "came out of nowhere."

He talked about a firefight near the airport in Baghdad. Staff Sergeant Robert J. Brown, Lamoureux's convoy commander on the majority of his missions, talked about how the convoys were shot at "day and night." "If you stopped, you got shot. We were sitting ducks outside of that wall, wire, perimeter or sand berm."

Brown said, "When Pat says what happened at the airport, that happened." Any of us can only imagine. I don't know very much about Iraq, but I have been to that airport and it isn't in an extremely secure part of the city. I can only imagine how horrific the circumstances were that this Nevada soldier survived^[1].

Pat also talked about an old man with a donkey, who would not stop when soldiers ordered him to and was shot. Sue told a reporter that, "To this day Pat believes the old man may have been deaf, and the image of him haunts Pat."

These stories leave behind many important, unanswered questions. These soldiers were put through things that no human being can easily withstand. Pat was eventually evacuated for a respiratory disorder. Just after that, one of his friends and fellow soldiers from Las Vegas was killed when his truck was struck, as he was changing a tire on his military vehicle in Kuwait.

Staff Sgt. Cameron Sarno was in the same Army Reserve group, the Las Vegas-based 257th "Rolling Thunder" Transportation Company.

Sue Lamoureux told the Las Vegas Review Journal, "That night before things spiraled out of control, Pat was screaming, 'Sarno' at me. I told him there wasn't anything about that situation that was his fault."

She added that he screamed again. "Sarno, you don't know.... I could have kept him from dying."

This is what he was talking about before things spun out of control that night at Terrible's Lakeside RV Park and Casino in Pahrump^[2]..

Sue knows why Pat couldn't hold it together. We have written many times about the 'legal' prescription drugs that are so often prescribed to veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to reports from the Nye County, Nevada Sheriff's Office, Pat Lamoureux was prescribed no less than 14 such drugs, possibly more^[3].

Pat Lamoureux was out of control to the point that his wife Sue had to leave. That is when things really began to spin out of control. Pat fired several rounds at Sue's laptop computer and this brought the instant response from Local Nye County deputies.

When they pulled up, a gunbattle quickly ensued, and both Pat Lamoureux and a deputy named Eric Murphy were wounded, with non-life threatening gunshot injuries.

The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that Lamoureux was interviewed several hours after the shooting, after he had been transported to the Nye County Detention Center.

When Officer James Chandler asked, "You know why I am here." Lamoureux is said to have replied, "No, I don't even know what my charges are."

When Chandler began naming the charges, including attempted murder and battery on a police officer, "Lamoureux slumped forward and asked if the officer he shot was OK."

This former U.S. Army soldier has a huge family that supports him without question

Lamoureux then inquired about his wife, and asked again if the officer would survive.

"I told him both were OK. Lamoureux still slumped forward was crying and said nothing," Chandler stated in a narrative filed two months after the shooting^[4].

The former Army Reserve sergeant pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity when he was arraigned on the charges. Salem-News.com's Dr. Phil Leveque, a WWII Combat Veteran, PTSD patient and doctor to hundreds of PTSD patients from multiple wars, said that is not hard to believe at all.

"These guys have been through Hell and back, few people can understand their experience unless they have been through it themselves. Take the PTSD and add a bunch of prescription drugs to the mix, and you are setting a person up for real trouble," Leveque said.

Sue Lamoureux said of her husband, "This is a great man who had NEVER been in trouble IN HIS LIFE. What makes someone reach the age of 46 years old - and then they SUDDENLY decide that getting into a gunbattle with 4 law enforcement officers is a great idea?"

"He wasn't a "bad guy" - and there was no "battle plan", there was no malice or hatred of law enforcement in Pat Lamoureux's mind. There were VAST amounts of psychotropic drugs all prescribed by the VA, but there was no intention on Pat Lamoureux's part to purposely facilitate the events of September 19, 2008."

Indeed, records indicate that Pat Lamoureux had a clean record prior to September 19, 2008.

His wife says Combat Veterans deserve a second chance if they become involved in the criminal justice system. As Americans in a modern society, incarcerating Veterans instead of offering in-patient jail diversion programs is barbaric in her opinion and that of many others.

"These brave soldiers were willing to sacrifice their lives in combat - not sacrifice their lives sitting in a jail cell. As Americans, we owe our Veterans more than we are giving them."

She says she is tired of the perception that our law enforcement officers are on a higher level than anyone else.

"Especially, that they are on a higher level than our combat veterans. A large number of them will retire never having pulled the trigger on their weapon except when they had to qualify on the shooting range."

She says what is also devastating is that the "local justice system" sees it fit to send a man away for what will be the rest of his life - when that man had never been in trouble in his life. We can offer jail diversion programs to drug addicts - but we can't offer jail diversion programs to Veterans who are first time offenders."

"Our country has failed Pat Lamoureux; Nye County, Nevada is trying to crucify Pat Lamoureux. By the time Pat Lamoureux even gets a trial, he will have been sitting in a county jail for 22 MONTHS - 22 months of his life wasted, he could have been getting in-patient treatment instead of being incarcerated."

She says the idea of endlessly incarcerating an Iraq War Veteran is bad enough, but that it gets even worse.

"Of course, there is also the issue of the ACLU's investigation of the detention facility that Pat is being housed in - and that it falls below Federal standards and should be deemed uninhabitable. There is the issue of the bullet that was left in his leg on September 19, 2008 - that burst open and started oozing in August 2009 - and the bullet is still in his leg... This is how Americans say, 'Thank you for your service', but oh my God - Pat Lamoureux was involved in an incident with Law Enforcement - and NOBODY wants to talk about this Veteran's heartbreaking story."

Well Sue, for what it is worth, I greatly respect your courage through all of this. I don't know how much more of a challenge you could be faced with, but I do know that law enforcement in the backwaters of Nevada can be shabby. We learned this sadly, when my friend and fellow war photojournalist Caleb Schaber supposedly killed himself, but we'll never really know, since the deputies there conducted a botched investigation^[1].

I hope people reading this story will take the time to learn more about Pat Lamoureux, and all of the other Combat Veterans who are in his shoes. Links below will take you to vital information about his case, and there is a lot of information on Pat that goes beyond what I have stated here. It isn't a theory that he put his life completely on the line for the rest of us in this country, Iraq is a Hellish place to have your psyche splattered with the blood and guts of other human beings. The little girl, the old man with the donkey, the firefight at the Baghdad Airport, it is just unimaginable. Then to be placed on so many 'legal' drugs by doctors, it is such a shame.

If you want to do something that won't cost anything, open these Websites and contact Nevada's political leaders, and ask them what they are doing to help Pat Lamoureux in light of these unusual circumstances, his previously clean record, honorable military service, and the fact that he was out of his mind on legal prescription drugs that he was told to take.

Get to know the story, visit these pages to see all of the things that Sue Lamoureux has done to keep the candle burning brightly for the man she loves.

=================================================

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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Rob February 24, 2010 3:37 pm (Pacific time)

TO VIC. Why do you live in this country? You should just put a towel on your head and move over to Afghanistan or Iraq because you would fit right in. I don't believe they are trying to say that combat veterans should be exempt from the law. That is a little extreme and I guess pretty much in line coming from someone like you who is obviously an extremist. Hey, what do you know, another reason why you should wrap that towel around your head and move over to the sand box. No one wants to go to war dummy, and that isn't why people join the military. I agree that the US shouldn't be over there, I will give you that, but don't think that members of the military are just there because they want to get paid to kill people. How many friends do you have that grew up saying they wanted to be a soldier so they could kill people? My guess is none, and truthfully if you express your feelings in public you probably don't even have friends at all. Do me a favor next time you have something to say about combat veterans, say it to their face.

Sue Lamoureux February 22, 2010 4:36 pm (Pacific time)

Tim, First - thank you for the time taken to write this article about Pat's case. I am Pat Lamoureux's wife, Sue. To anyone who has read this article, I understand how shocking the nature of the incident may be; but, I ask that everyone understand that what happened that night was not a crime, it was a TRAGEDY. Pat Lamoureux comes from a large family which has many law enforcement members. Pat Lamoureux was a very law abiding citizen; again this was a tragedy, not a crime. The only person who knows what happened in the hours leading up to this tragedy, is ME. What I did that night, was the correct thing to do. If you were not there, don't try and second guess my actions. It has not been suggested that our Veterans are exempt from law. HOWEVER, if there is ANYBODY that deserves a second chance - it is a COMBAT VETERAN. There are other avenues that should be afforded to our Veterans rather than incarceration in a prison with individuals who are TRUE criminals. It is well documented in the literature that incarceration CAUSES PTSD. How is this any sort of treatment or therapy for a Veteran who has been VA rated at a high percentage for PTSD? There are other types of "confinement" that should be afforded to our Veterans; in-patient treatment in jail diversion programs is the RIGHT answer. Incarceration in a prison is the WRONG answer, particularly for Veterans who have NEVER been in trouble in their lives. For those who do not believe that Pat Lamoureux has been "punished" - he has been incarcerated in a county jail for over 17 months, and by the time he finally gets a trial - it will have been 22 months - almost 2 years. Is that not punishment? And please, don't forget that during the time he has been incarcerated, he has not received ANY type of counseling. Is this really the right answer? Is this really the way to treat anyone who serves our country? I hope that anyone who has read this will follow my husband's case. He is an amazingly wonderful person, and his life deserves to be saved, and I will continue to fight with every ounce of my life, to save his life.

Natalie February 21, 2010 10:26 pm (Pacific time)

I agree that PTSD should be mandatory for all vets. That would, hopefully, keep them from crime life. Too bad the police got involved, too bad his wife didn't recognize the warning signs and didn't help him but rather left, which caused this black-out, as I understand, in the first place. Other than that, I feel sorry for the guy. If his wife is willing to forgive, I don't judge either.

Lida Lamoureux Mitchell February 21, 2010 6:13 am (Pacific time)

Thank you for your insightful story Tim. This is my brother and he is currently being TORTURED by the backwoods Nye County Sheriff. This is the REAL crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My brother is innocent of any intentional harm. He is a Patriot who deserves treatment. Set my brother FREE!

Wife of an Iraq Vet February 21, 2010 12:48 am (Pacific time)

To "VIC" Our military members go to war for our country to defend the mentality of people like YOU? Perhaps we should send people with your substandard mentality to war - instead of these brave individuals who step up to defend our country. Your comments are disgusting - I cannot believe that you are entitled to call yourself an "American"....

Elizabeth February 17, 2010 9:27 am (Pacific time)

Our veterans have protected our freedoms so we can live almost oblivious to the fact that we are at war. There is no way any of us who have not served can have any idea of what they have gone through (seen, experienced). War is ugly. Our veterans have already paid a high price. Those who survive the battlefield should not be consigned to essentially losing what is left of their lives once they come home. Our veterans should receive treatment when they return - not because there is something wrong with them - but because ANYONE and EVERYONE who sees what they have seen and experiences what they have experienced would benefit from help to process it in order to begin to productively function and re-integrate and into life here. This treatment should be offered to all returning vets without discrimination. It is the least we can do. Sue, thank you for all you are doing for Pat. Thank you for helping the public perhaps understand a little better. Don't stop. The work you are doing is important! People need to know so that our system can change.

Nan February 13, 2010 6:59 am (Pacific time)

Our military veterans that have served in combat should not be exempt from the law, but they should be taken care of when returning, they need to be properly channeled to receive treatment needed, whether physicaly or mentally. They should not be drugged up and left in such a way they have no control and become zombies. They do not ask for special treatment, only fair treatment. They deserve that right just as you would receive workers comp if you were injured on a job. Thousands of troops are deployed, one of every 6 return with PTSD, it is nothing that can be predicted, it happens. Once they return with it something normal becomes horrific and they react in that state of mind. This is what needs to be treated, this is what they need to learn to control if at all possible. Sending them to prison without treatment just allows that wound to dig deeper into the soul, gain more control of the mind. Loading them up on drugs is not the answer, it is just a mask so not to deal with the issue at hand. The faster the recognition and proper treatment, the faster the healing begins...problem is this is just now being recognized. It can't be ignored or it esculates and intensifies. Combat related PTSD is a wound of war, an injury....they are just as badly wounded as the one that is shot...but see, the visible wound is accepted by all, the invisible wound keeps coming back to haunt the one that has it. Those with the invisible wound are the strongest people as they live with it daily...never knowing when it will come into play with their lives. Since when is the US military only an organization? Yes, it is now an all volunteer force. They join to protect our country because they believe in it. They are the strongest force there is in all manners physically, mentally, and intellectually. Would you work at a job for their pay and be on call 24 hours a day? Would you pull the trigger if need be? Do we really know for sure no WMD have not been located? They have found equipment used for such and why would they have that if they didn't have any? Would you protect people that use a negative attitude towards them as you have? They will, because they believe and they are not cowards. Evidently Vic has a problem with the military. His remarks have nothing to do with those that have committed a crime because of their wound or the treatment for it and are paying a price. I agree any of the crimes should not have been committed, but if proper treatment was given most likely they wouldn't happen. But with Vic, this is about the military itself.....I guess the question is why is he making statements with no knowledge of what he is talking about? The military, the combat wound of PTSD and what they go through, and about our country? The military is here so people can have freedom. keep freedom, even for some that don't deserve to be protected. They serve because they have back bones and love for their country...and don't you dare tell me differently. Now, we must make sure they have the correct treatment available and offered to all that need it. Handle the illness/wound before it gets to the point of dealing with veteran courts.

Irma Torres February 12, 2010 7:41 am (Pacific time)

I totally disagree with this article. Our boys returned from war, after fighting for our rights and freedoms. We need to show our Vets our respect and our compassion. Why don't we have mandatory PTSD therapy for all returning combat vets? I am in favor of giving 1st time offenders a diversion opportunity. If these young vets volunteered and were willing to die for my rights and freedooms, why not have some compassion.

Jamie Keyes February 12, 2010 6:41 am (Pacific time)

Well, Vic, your attitude is why we are seeing drops in enlistment in the armed forces today. Young potential recruits are not joining the armed services and protecting this country because they know that when they come home, they will not get the support of this nation and people just like you! Doesn't that make you feel secure? I will tell you what the difference is between a veteran and drug addicts/common criminals? The veteran gave his life and risked his life every single day to protect and serve this country.They were given a promise that they would be taken care of when they returned home wounded. The ones who came home bearing the mental wounds of war are just as worthy of our support as the ones who were physically wounded. This nation owes them a HUGE debt. I am sure, Vic, that you never put your life on hold, excepting a meager paycheck,(believe me! These guys dont join the armed forces for the paycheck!) and left your family over and over again for the sake of your country.These veterans are not asking for a "get out of jail" free card. They are just asking for treatment instead of incarceration, and the chance to heal from the wounds that they acquired from serving each and every one in this country. They did not ask to be thrown into a war, but when asked, they gladly gave their lives. Thank God that there are still some who will. Your comments show a serious lack of intelligence as well as a lack empathy, and compassion for those who went to bat for you, and who's lives have forever changed as a result. They are also a slap in the face of every single soldier and veteran in this country. Shame on you!

Vic February 11, 2010 7:27 am (Pacific time)

So combat veterans should be exempt from the law? How about rape victims, people who were abused as children, people who have lost spouses or children in accidents, people who have lost their savings, people who have blurrd their judgement with drugs or alcohol (just as voluntary as joining the Army), elderly people who have no money, people who are just trying to feed themselves or their children, or people who have bee abused and traumatized by combat veterans..??.Why dont we just pass a law that states that ANY person who willfully joins an organization whose goal is the death and destruction of other people, is exempt from all laws, and can beat up, rape, abuse and murder whomever they want, because after all...they "put their life on the line for the rest of us" ...(did Iraq indeed have WMDs that it was preparing to use on the US?...Rumsfeld/Bush/Cheney/Powell were telling the truth?..otherwise, they are "putting their life on the line" for coorporate interests...PERIOD. Time to stop the BS about "fighting for our freedom"..no one is buying that lie..) It makes me sick the way mercenaries (he WAS getting paid to be in the Army, right?) are heroes in the US, and everyone else is second class. And when these "heros" come home and continue the carnage and abuse, we are supposed to quietly bury our dead and tearfully thank them for their "sacrifice", because the laws should not apply to them. Somehow, we owe them for their willingness to kill other humans.....?????? I dont think so...Until the day that the US is INVADED, these people are nothing more than mercenaries, working for big business.

Jeff Kaye~ February 11, 2010 5:37 am (Pacific time)

What really burns me up - and I'm sure Dr. Leveque would agree completely - is that a veteran, or anyone, can be prescribed literally dozens of harmful, hepatoxic (liver killing), kidney damaging, brain warping narcotics, barbiturates, opiates, sedatives, "anti"-depressants that have the opposite effect, and even cocaine and amphetamines. Meanwhile, the ONE safe drug that actually works for a broad spectrum of ailments, including PTSD, is banned. It is banned by our federal government, and WHY? Because it would decrease the profit margins for all these other "legal" drugs peddled by big pharmaceutical corporations with the money to buy off congressmen. Any politician speaking out against this humane treatment needs to be replaced, because they're either an idiot or they're in the pocket of Big Pharma, Alcohol and Tobacco, and/or the Prison Industrial Complex. What's this drug they spend billions to ban and incarcerate innocent people for using? A simple, non-toxic herb that will thrive in any garden. Cannabis Sativa. Otherwise known as marijuana. President Obama said while campaigning, "The war on drugs has been an utter failure. We need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws." He was right, and we need to hold him to it. So many thousands of veterans and anyone hurting from just about any major illness can benefit greatly from medical cannabis, and it's time we stood up for our right to this safer alternative to the poisons they're foisting off on us as "medicine". Addressing law enforcement officers (of course) at a function last year, our supposedly enlightened drug czar (he headed Seattle's police force before his selection) said, "Marijuana is dangerous, and has no medical value." That should have been the end of his job, right there. His very position is a waste of our hard-earned tax dollars. ONDCP and its Nazi-thug DEA should be abolished and replaced with a common-sense panel of scientists and physicians to help people get the medical assistance they need. If Canada and Israel can have nationally sponsored (and quite successful) medical cannabis programs, why can't WE? We can, and we will, when we stand together as a community of sensible Americans outraged at the injustice of our "Justice System".

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