Getting ahead of the PTSD thing
Dirty Mick sends us a link to the story of Jason Edward Prostrollo, 25, a veteran who was shot by police in a stand-off in Scottsdale, Arizona early Saturday.
The incident unraveled just after 4 a.m. when a 35-year-old woman called police reporting that her boyfriend was in a fight with another man who had a knife.
While police were responding to the couple’s residence near 136th Street and Via Linda, they received another call allegedly prompted by the same suspect.
The caller was a cabdriver who said a male customer held a knife to his throat and forced him to drive back to the neighborhood where he was picked up, from which the first call came.
When police arrived, they called the female victim and her 50-year-old boyfriend out of the house. Both victims were unharmed.
The suspect shortly followed with the pool cues in hand, Clark said.
Apparently, what happened next; the police released a dog, “Raider”, on Prostrollo at the same time that another police officer fired two shots, one round hit and killed Prostrollo and the other wounded Raider, who, by all accounts, is recovering nicely.
Some of Prostrollo actions as described in the media could lead folks to think that Prostrollo was a victim of PTSD, but Dirty Mick writes to tell us that Prostrollo has been a little nutty since high school and that this has little to do with his military service or his deployment to the war against terror. Dirty Mick must know the guy because he’s going to the funeral along with Operator Dan.
So, this is a preemptive move to warn any journalists who are doing a Google search for background on Prostrollo, that we can put you in contact with people who will dispute your claim that Prostrollo suffered from PTSD and died as a result of his military service.
Category: Media, Veterans Issues
I hate to say it, but this was bound to happen one day. Jason was the type of guy who would draw a knife/gun at a whim to show off or to settle the most mundane of arguments. This was his SOP before the Corps and after. Prostollo was also a pathological liar. The stories he told about his time in the Marine Corps (and after) would make some of the stolen valor shitbirds we have posted about seem believable in comparison. Already, I am seeing people post in the comment sections for the news articles about Jason that he was a “Scout Sniper”, “combat vet of three tours”, and other ridiculousnesses that is simply not grounded in reality. The fact is Jason was a recon Marine (which I verified on MOL) with two tours to Iraq. He saw combat but not a lot and he left the Marines a Sgt. That should be enough to be proud of yet Jason felt the need to continually lie about the nature of his service. This included lying about the number of tours he did, the schools he attended (i.e. lying about going to jump/pathfinder school), and, of course, the number of people he killed. Most people could smell bullshit right away when he told these stories but unfortunately some believed them and are now repeating them as truth in the wake of his death. I remember the last time I saw Jason he tried to tell me and Dirty Mick he had an offer to go into the SEALs as an E7 and he didn’t need to go to BUDS. Mind you, both Dirty Mick and I were both combat vets who had been around the block and knew our stuff but yet he thought we would believe him. Then he tried to tell Dirty Mick he went to Air Assault School in Utah and that Dirty Mick didn’t actually go to Air Assault School at Campbell when DM had a AA badge and was in the 101st. Yeah thats the type of shit this kid would spew. If anyone sees… Read more »
He never lied to me about his service. He just told me he was in recon. He seemed like a nice kid.
How much you want to bet this will be cited as proof we’re all half mad, ready to snap at the smallest provocation.
i cant believe what i am reading, my husband was in recon with jason and he was an amazing man, how dare you trash his name after his death. “saw a bit of war”? you f*ck head, you go over to iraq 2 times and see how you come back. i believe he may have had some ptsd, these men see horrible things, and they stick with them for life. jason was an amazing individula. how DARE YOU SAY THESE THINGS ABOUT HIM AFTER HE DIED. i would have loved you to say this to his face. bastard.
Take a look around the blog, toots. We’re mostly combat vets here. Most of us have seen the same awful shit as Jason, some of us have PTSD. Very few to none of us have lashed out violently in the same manner as Jason. We know what we’re talking about.
“saw a bit of war”’
Where is this a quote from? You’re the first person to use those words here.
YO! caligirl12! Take a chill pill. Operator Dan & Dirty Mick are relating what they’ve seen & heard from Jason. I’ll go by what two eye witnesses say long before anything else. Jonn was addressing the news articles “PTSD” claim, ya ding bat. FYI, Lilyea and just about every commenter on this blog has seen some kind of action somewhere, at one time or another. The majority of us are vet’s for Christ’s sake. Where the flock were you & your hubby when Jose Guerrena was killed by PIMA Regional SWAT in Tucson? Where’s your OUTRAGE on that?
*crickets*
Sorry Scott….didn’t mean to trample on yer toes.
ass holes.
Just sad, from what i knew, he was a great guy, what a way to go 🙁
Ohhhh come on, caligirl! Is that the best you have? YOUR personal best? Dingleberry…
@ #9- Uh yep and the saddest part of it is? He made that decision on his own.
Hey, Operator Dan.
“Was bound to happen some day?” What?!! Are you on the Scottsdale PD payroll you a$$hole? Way to stick up for your fellow soldier. The police assassinate a 25 year old 160 lb guy brandishing a couple of pool sticks and the best way you can respond is by remarking negatively about the man’s character. What about the gross violation of his civil right to life. Do his family a favor…stay home on the day of the funeral.
I was with Jason the night he returned home from WAR. He returned to a dark and empty house. No party, no fanfare, no welcome home. In fact, his mother had died while he was in the service. Still, he conducted himself with honor and dignity which is more than I can say for you. The soldier I knew was great guy with a big heart. He’d do anything for his friends and his family. So I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you should be ashamed of yourself.
Keep towing the line for overzealous cops too. You probably endorse the police tactic of escalating to lethal force just because the wind was blowing. One day it’ll happen to someone in your family and you’ll complain. Then maybe someone can trample on the grave of your loved one. Come to think of it, why don’t you complete your act of cowardice and offer to testify negatively about Jason’s character. Then you can talk all the shit you want in front of a jury.
My name is Alex. I’ll be attending the funeral all the way from New York City to honor my friend.
As somebody who has personally seen Jason pull guns on people and brandish weapons at parties I can attest that if you carry yourself in manner like that you’re going to end up in trouble or unfortunately get your ticket punched. It’s a shame he survived two deployments with the Marine Infantry (he was a Marine not a soldier) to go out like this.
The point of this post was to point that he had a pattern of this behavior before he joined the Marines because the media and civilians portray vets as nuts whenever a vet breaks the law.
Perhaps I should clarify; this post was not meant to excuse the actions of the police. Whichever officer shot Prostrollo and the dog should be investigated if the incident happened as the media reported it. Shooting a man armed with only a pool cue is outside the boundaries of their authority, especially if there were other options available. The shooting, however an investigation ends up, is a tragedy, that it happened to a combat veteran compounds that tragedy to the veteran community. Our only concern is that the media shouldn’t be allowed to smear all veterans with this man’s actions.
DM,
If I had written: “stick up for your fellow Marine” instead of “fellow soldier” I would have been assuming the branch of service YOU served in.
People make mistakes. Especially drunk people. Trust me, I know. Where I come from the cops encounter drunk SERVICEMEN from all parts of our country. They stumble all over Times Square. The drunk soldiers and sailors (AND MARINES) who fuck up when they come to my city are usually clocked in the head by the cops and thrown in the drunk tank. Otherwise they’re often taken back to their hotels, and actually tucked into bed. That’s the way New York cops operate. They know the bad guys from the good guys They don’t fire on servicemen brandishing pool sticks.
So you’re saying his pattern of behavior for going on 10 years now would have never led to something terrible happening? I have seen him pull guns on people at house parties when I was 17 years old. When I got out of the army the first time in 2008 he and I went out one night and he chose to bring a concealed weapon into a bar and then show it off at a party later that night. After that I distanced myself from him because as an adult and somebody that have been around weapons and carried weapons as part of my job for better part of the 7 years now I chose not to be associated with somebody like that for my own safety.
I would’ve assumed being in the grunts would’ve taught him better weapon discipline
Also before we go off some shit story the local rags wrote two days after lets wait and get the full AAR.
There is always two sides to any story. It will be up to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s finest to sort things out since it occurred in his jurisdiction and NOT Stupdick’s.
From KGUN9: “According to Sgt. Mark Clark, a man and a woman were out drinking Friday night when they met Prostrollo, at a bar.
The couple brought Prostrollo home to play pool, and at some point he began an argument and pulled out a knife.
Police were called, as well as a cab for Prostrollo. After leaving in the cab, Prostrollo pulled the knife on the cab driver and ordered the cab back to the couple’s house. The driver complied and also called police, according to Clark.
Officers arrived and ordered everyone out of the house. The couple complied, however Clark said Prostrollo emerged wielding pool cues and behaving “incoherently” and not complying with officers’ commands.
Raider was released to seize Prostrollo, and another officer, a lieutenant, fired two shots. Both Prostrollo and the dog were hit. Conditions were too windy for pepper spray or a stun gun, Clark said.
Prostrollo, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene. Clark said a knife was found on the suspect.”
Knife pulled on three people, something tells me this confrontation was forced. Sorry. UpNorth & Beat n Release can open a can of whipass on me starting anytime now….
And by the way, pulling a knife on a cab driver equates to a 211…”armed robbery” beef. So, caligirl & Alex both need to chill out.
What people fail to realize by Jason joining the Marine Corp and serving his country honorably and becoming a vet he is a representative for all vets (especially those that knew him). Because we’re a small segment of the population (especially the infantry and combat arms) when somebody does something like that or carries on in a certain way it is also a reflection on us. I would come home on leave and have to explain to people that knew or encountered Jason that no he wasn’t doing raids in or syria or no getting drunk and waving knives or guns at parties is not something that is normal behavior among infantryman. I was always embaressed to hear these stories because I felt it reflected on me because we were both in the Infantry, went to high school together, and were at one time friends.
You got that right, DM! It DOES reflect badly on all of us. Too bad some grieving civilians choose to take their anger or hurt feelings or whatever it is out on us. That is just weird.
Meanwhile, the point is on target that it is pretty impossible to claim PTSD for behaviors that were present prior to a trauma. Anyone can succumb to PTSD, of course, but behaving the same as one always has is not generally part of the deal.
Of course, calling folks names over the internet is sooooo effective. Uh-huh. Just for the record, caligal, there aren’t many here who have not been called much worse. Strange, though, coming from someone who is attempting to convince us that our attitude should be anything other than what it is – defending each and every vet, every one of our brothers and sisters. Whoever injures one of us may find themselves dealing with all of us.
Jason, while, he had some issues, was a good kid. None of this bickering matters however because we’ll all be dead shortly just as soon as this comet hits.
@ #19- Mess with one and you get the WHOLE trailer park? 😉
@#16, that’s why we always told our street lieutenants to stay in the building. Only met one in my years of service who wouldn’t fuck up an iron ball.
“Knife pulled on three people”, and forcing the cab driver to go somewhere at knifepoint would, in most jurisdictions, qualify as a carjacking. Not enough known about what happened after he returned to the house. I’d like to read the officer’s reports and the IAB reports.
As a 43 year old father of two boys, I simply don’t agree that Jason deserved the finality of death. Can’t you at least freakin’ agree with that?
Even if you were previously embarrassed by his actions, can you not find room in your heart to silently mourn your former friend? Rather than berate his life? His family could be reading this you know.
Even if your stories have merit, isn’t it possible that a man can transcend his immaturity through development, life experience, and wisdom?
You know, as a serviceman, you should know that your character is on display here too. The citizens want to see servicemen demonstrate solidarity, to mourn in unity, and to forgive. So instead of calling out the bad you saw in Jason, why not go outside, lower your flag solemnly (or ceremoniously), and pay respect to the fallen?
@ Alex; I don’t think anyone is berating his life, but personal actions/decisions are fair game for judgement.
While it’s true that a man can transcend his immaturity, I wouldn’t describe these actions as being those of someone seeking development, life experience or wisdom.
And though sometimes in order to rebuild you have to hit rock-bottom first, the problem with that method is that your fate is in your owns hands as to whether you can find the exit-ramp on the highway to hell.
Well, Alex, you actually have no idea whatever how any of us grieves this or any other loss of a brother vet. Your responses and emotional outbursts, while not as bad as caligal’s, make it obvious that you have no clue why we ask the questions of each other that we do.
Just curious – how does our working through these issues together and among ourselves impact your life? You inserted yourself into this conversation, so please refrain from complaining about how we do it here. And I will not come into your home or wherever you gather with friends and dictate to you how you and they absolutely MUST grieve your loss.
Deal?
What f*cking difference does it make? He’s dead. He was a friend to a lot of people & a Marine. He had some bad tendencies but I can dam sure bet you peasants are not holy.
Mr. Pink? None of us lay claim to being “holy”. Is that your opinion or a pre-formulated judgement?
And as I pointed out earlier to caligirl….Where was YOUR outrage after Jose Guerenna was shot & killed by PIMA County Regional SWAT?
OWB
Your forum is not private. It is available to 7 billion people for viewing on the World Wide Web.
Don’t make is sound like I eavesdropped on some private conversation.
FYI, I know full well what it’s like to lose brothers and how to grieve them
Hey Mick,
Why didn’t you offer him help? You are as much to blame for the incident for not helping. Simply complainging of him having a problem and you just watching Jason go down is just as bad in my books man. Ok he lied…ok he branished a weapon. That is a pure and simple ‘cry for help’. You ignored him.
I did tell him numerous times it was the wrong answer and so did countless others but in my case what was I going to do when I lived in Ft. Campbell Kentucky, Going to Iraq, or Spending most of 2010 in Afghanistan? I’m all about being there for fellow infantryman but one can only do so much. At the end of the day we make our own choices and have to take responsibility and it’s unfortunate what happened
ugh, i dont know why i feel like i need to explain my self to you. but here it goes, streetsweeper, my “outrage” is not focused on the fact Jason was killed by cops, not once did i defend what he did, what he did was wrong, all im saying was obviously something was mentally wrong with him and that and alcohol did not mix well..its horrible that it ended the way it did, Shooting a man armed with only a pool cue is questionable to me.
DM & OWB, seem to be more focused on the fact that Jasons actions reflect them as veterans, then the fact a veteran brother was shot and killed.. thats sad to me, i would think at a time like this, rather than try to separate you would all want to come together. regardless of what he did, he as a person, a marine, veteran is still deserving of respect.
Jason was a dear friend, a loyal friend, yes at sometimes a bit crazy, but he is still a human, none of us know what was going on in his head that night, and none of us ever will. we just need to respect that he is a veteran, and regardless of the so called lies he told, or how willing he was to fight or whatever you want to say.. obviously something was not right. and how sad that its too late to try to help. it just hurts me to see a blog pretty much dedicated to berate his life. im sorry if he ever thought any of you were his friends, because clearly you are not. his true friends know the man he was. and we all stand behind him 100%. ptsd or not. Jason made a huge mistake and paid the ultimate price. all i can say is RIP Jason, you are so missed.
and let me just say, Jasons actions, do not, what so ever change the respect i have for our veterans. Regardless of what he or any other veteran did, they at one time risked his/her life for ME. that is a favor i can never repay.
@Caligirl: Unfortunately this young mans actions will reflect on all veterans. Any time one of us does anything illegal the first thing that comes out of some dipshit reporters mouth is that the person was a veteran. The next thing is that it is all because of PTSD. It doesnt matter whether or not his actions were related to his service or not the general public will believe that they were. Im a combat veteran diagnosed with PTSD and Im about damn sick to death of crazy vet meme that is being propagated by our media.
As for whether the shooting was justified or not, I will wait til I can read the AAR on the shooting and see what the police have to say for themselves. If its legitimate, Im good with that. If its not, then someones got some splaining to do.
Truth about this is this kid did a ton of drugs, acted recklessly, pulled this shit ALLLLLLLL the time. Ask ANYONE. ANYONE. The people sticking up for him are the scum that supported it and encouraged this type of behavior. This kid was no stand up citizen, by any means. But my guess is that they’ll save face due to his economic status and he’ll be a hero of sorts. What a f8cking joke.
To the “friends” of Jason:
Let’s mourn the loss of Jason Prostrollo instead of bashing him. Let’s think of his family before we carelessly reveal things that the general public will read. I am a combat vet and the things that I am reading from my fellow brothers in arms is hurting me. Stop this nonsense and lets mourn his death.
Sincerely,
Mitchell Schrader
My sister, with Phoenix PD; my nephew-in-law, with Phoenix PD; one of my best friend’s from high school, with Phoenix PD; all veterans, say there was no indication of PTSD, after investigation. I mention my family’s involvement because the Phoenix PD was called in to investigate the shooting. As of right now, this guy is being is considered a crack pot, not a victim of PTSD.
Death is the penalty for being a crackpot? I can’t believe that so few of you are questioning the police on this. This “he deserved it”, “he pulled this all the time” stuff is scary.
The guy had two pool cues. Who the hell did the cops think he was? Darth Maul? Yas Yas, ask your nitwit friends in the Phoenix PD why they didn’t even attempt to use the lowest measure of force as procedures calls for.
They stated that the wind was the determining factor for selecting the highest measure of force. So by Scottsdale PD’s criteria, if it wasn’t windy he’d still be alive? I hope that when the over-armed, over-powering police come to disarm me of my wooden sticks that the wind is calm.
http://readability.iavian.net/?hop=http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/01/man_who_swung_light_sabers_at.html
FYI
The recorded wind conditions in Scottsdale, Arizona as per almanac.com for 27 January 2012 was 4.83 mph mean with maximum gusts of 7 mph. For 28 January 2012 the recorded wind was 5.41 mph mean with maximum gusts of 11.10 mph. Same for the 29th.
Death is the penalty for being a crackpot?
It is when you hold a knife to someone’s throat.
Deadly weapons and all that. If it was in fact not possible to use non-lethal weapons on him, then if the police felt threatened, then there’s not much to say, Alex.
Being a vet doesn’t give anyone carte blanche to act like an asshole.
Alex, I’m sorry to say this, but a “wooden stick” is a very lethal weapon with training. I’m a martial artist and can use a simple wooden stick to take someone apart. You have to realize that in the Corps, Marines are trained in armed and unarmed fighting techniques. I do not know how deep this training goes, but I know it exists from speaking to family members and friends.
See, we are not seeing the entire picture of what happened that night. It is probably still under full investigation. However, when a dog is released, it is usually public knowledge to any other cops around the suspect by both verbal and visual queues. You don’t release a dog and then fire two shots at the same time. The fact that the dog was struck means Jason was fighting with the dog and still a threat.
Most of us will not know what went on that night until after the investigation concludes. Having never met him, I do not know what precipitated this altercation. However, I also know from personal experience that it will reflect badly on the veteran community as a whole because of the current views of the media.
Oh, and as for the Oregon Lightsaber guy, I know a cop who was part of that take down. The guy was stoned off his ass and was able to fight through the tasers enough to dislodge them with the toy. He also was able to clock one of the cops with it before they showed the power of their ASP batons.
I stand a 100 percent by what I said. Frankly, I am more concerned about the reputation of all living combat vets than the reputation of Jason. If somebody has a problem with that – so be it.
Already, I see people starting to blame this on PTSD as a result of his service in the Corps. However, the fact is Jason was guilty of this type of behavior before the Corps. In fact, his time in the Corps he probably toned this shit down a little bit because he had his NCOs to keep him in line.
There is already a stigma attached to combat vets who are re-entering society. Unfortunately, stories like this add to that stigma.
Does anyone happen to know when his services are?
Sounds like we were at the same party DirtyMick. New Years a couple of years ago, 2007 I believe, I was hanging out with my friends from Phoenix Christian including his best friend Max and Max’s now girlfriend. Jason and a bunch of us were in a hot tub having a great time and Jason had met a girl staying at the hotel. We left them together and went back to our room, until suddenly Jason came bursting in the room in a complete rage He then came in grabbed a gun loaded it and walked to what he thought was the woman’s hotel door. He stood there yelling for her to come out while he had a gun pointed directly at it. That was enough for me, I don’t know how long Max stood there and tried talking him down because I left shortly there after. It turned out to be all over something he made up in his head.
This wasn’t a first time thing for him, I read the article about his dad saying it was unlike him and it kinda made me mad because I witnessed this same thing.
Alex, you asshole. Were you there when this incident occurred? Are you a certified police officer? Are you a certified investigator of any type, fire , accident, etc? No? Then STFU! Those “nitwits” put their asses on the line every day, even for assholes like you!
He paid for the things you accuse him of with his life.
The “knife to the throat” is alleged. The “shooting a man dead for wielding two pool ques (and because it was windy) is a fact.
Here are some interesting points:
1. The police officers, the cab driver, the 50 year old man and the 35 year old woman were proven to be unharmed by Jason. Even the dog was not harmed by Jason. Jason, however, is dead.
2.Only one officer fired his weapon. The others restrained themselves from firing. Since these things usually end in a hail of gunfire I’m wondering why the others didn’t fire.
3. Jason’s knife was reportedly sheathed when he emerged from the home. They said it was on his person, not in his hand. Thus, he put it away before he appeared from the home. That seems like a bonafide demonstration to decrease threat to the police.
4. According to the police the couple let Jason back into the home. If they were “threatened with a knife” a few moments earlier and succeeded in getting Jason out of their home, why would they let him back in when he returned?
5. Taser manufacturers boast that the weapons can be used safely and effectively in “high winds”. Does it sound like wind was REALLY a factor to you? Or does it sound like an excuse for an unnecessary shooting?
6. The wind stats above are factual, historical recordings. Saying to me that the wind was no factor at all. Sounds to me like the police needed something to justify the escalation of force.
But you know what fellas? You’re probably right, after all, Jason was a liar, a lousy Marine, a bad drunk, a fool when he carried his weapons in public. I’m sure this former Marine, Son, Brother, and friend to many deserved to die at age 25.
I’m done with you
I know who he was, and thats all that matters.
Amen alex. Thank you!
Yat yas. My service is documented.
I’ve been to more funerals for my brothers than you can even comprehend. I’ve driven more widows to more funerals that you can fucking imagine. My city was blown to pieces 10 years ago, not yours. And now my cousin Jason is dead.
So go fuck yourself.