This is a friend's son.

[Maggot]

I used to shoot with Bill, his father, who was a LR instructor for the Navy and is now a constable in Texas. Looks like the apple stayed close to the tree. Nice work, Tim.

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Veteran who considered taking his life thanks cop who saved him

By:

• Steffi Lee

Posted: Jul 27, 2018 06:44 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 30, 2018 08:34 AM CDT
743
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hil...-his-life-thanks-cop-who-saved-him/1329653825

Larry Guynes salutes Granite Shoals Police Officer Tim Edwards. (Steffi Lee/Nexstar Broadcasting)

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hil...-his-life-thanks-cop-who-saved-him/1329653825


GRANITE SHOALS, Texas (KXAN) — Granite Shoals Police Officer Tim Edwards received a challenge coin Friday for getting a veteran mental health treatment when he was about to end his life two weeks ago.
Air Force veteran Larry Guynes says he has struggled with depression and anxiety. The medication he was taking didn't sit well with him and he contemplated killing himself.
"I called the suicide hotline," he said. "I was on the phone with them and unknowingly they called Officer Edwards in."
Edwards was dispatched to Guynes' home.
"When I saw him, I instantly saw somebody who was looking for help," Edwards said.
Edwards says the lessons he learned from crisis intervention training kicked in.
"He was standing in his front yard on his phone when I walked up," Edwards said. "I just gave him the opportunity to speak, let him tell me what's on his mind."
Guynes didn't feel threatened by Edwards, saying he was quiet and calming.
"My focus immediately shifted," Guynes said. "I wasn't thinking about harming myself any longer. It was immediate. It was astounding."
"He had a plan," Edwards said. "I believe he would've went through with it if we would not have intervened that evening."
Guynes was the one who handed Officer Edwards his challenge coin. Etched on the back is the quote "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid," by former President Ronald Reagan.
Chief Gary Boshears says the department began de-escalation training prior to a state law requiring all new peace officers to undergo 40 hours of crisis intervention training.
"We really felt like that was important to be able to handle difficult situations," he said.
Within the next year, all eight officers will be certified in additional mental health training, Boshears said.
"If you just know how to talk to people, you can talk your way out of bad outcomes," he said.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement says more than 650 officers have completed crisis intervention training since the law went into effect in April. Lawmakers approved the requirement after the "Fallen" investigation by KXAN found police agencies in the state had lacked training when dealing with officers facing someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

 

[sandwarrior]

This is one of those time when you're really grateful that someone took the training seriously instead of just 'meeting the requirement'. It worked and you can't say much more than that.

 

[W54/XM-388]

"When I saw him, I instantly saw somebody who was looking for help," Edwards said.
Edwards says the lessons he learned from crisis intervention training kicked in.

Chief Gary Boshears says the department began de-escalation training prior to a state law requiring all new peace officers to undergo 40 hours of crisis intervention training.
"We really felt like that was important to be able to handle difficult situations," he said.
Within the next year, all eight officers will be certified in additional mental health training, Boshears said.
"If you just know how to talk to people, you can talk your way out of bad outcomes," he said.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement says more than 650 officers have completed crisis intervention training since the law went into effect in April. Lawmakers approved the requirement after the "Fallen" investigation by KXAN found police agencies in the state had lacked training when dealing with officers facing someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

It sounds like the training in de-escalation paid off really well. Hopefully once the training gets pushed out to everyone, including those already on the job, quite a few lives might be saved.

Many years ago when I first got my CHL, it was basically 8 hours of State Mandated de-escalation training, I did find it pretty helpful.