Michael Williams; another crazed vet
Top Kone sends us a link to WOOD-TV which tells the story of Michael Williams who was apparently a Desert Storm veteran. He attacked several people he didn’t know with “a large hunting knife” because they turned into demons while he was talking to them. A local police officer subdued him with a taser. In the picture above, he was in the infantry (blue cord and blue disks) and his family claims that his service in Desert Storm made him a little nutzo;
Williams has a history of mental health problems dating back at least nine years, when he was petitioned for treatment after arming himself with a hammer and knives in his own home, according to court documents obtained by 24 Hour News 8.
His family has told 24 Hour News 8 that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm.
[…]
According to the petition filled out by an aunt, Williams told his family “people are following him, people are under (the) house and jumping out windows and no one else can see them.”
His mother and sister said he was carrying a hammer and knives in a “threatening posture” in the house, “throwing objects” and digging, apparently in the crawl space, to find people.
[…]
His cousin, Lawhawn Scroggins, of Utah, told 24 Hour News 8 that Williams called her on Tuesday — three days before the Amtrak stabbing — to say that people were following him and trying to kill him. She and Williams’ uncle, David Scroggins, said he suffers from PTSD.
Yeah, well the court determined that his lunacy was related to cocaine abuse and drug use. But the Army made him crazy. I’ll tell you that you’d be hard pressed to find an expert on PTS who would conclude that PTS caused Williams to hallucinate. I’m going with the drug abuse excuse.
Category: Veterans Issues
“Cocaine is a hell of a drug”. –Rick James
Anybody else reminded of the song?….
“Ridin’ that train, high on cocaine…..
Casey Jones, you better watch your speed…”
Couldn’t resist.
But jonn, we are all ticking time bombs that are totally insane and the ptsd is to blame for everything!
Didn’t the Navy Yard shooter claim the same thing or was it just he heard voices? Regardless, when the signs are there someone should be taking steps to compel treatment and help. Wonder if they ever took him to the VA.
If the reports are accurate regarding his seeing and hearing imaginary people and voices then he may be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Those are most certainly classical symptoms and they could be exacerbated by cocaine abuse.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/430756_6
Good thing for the folks on the Amtrak Bluewater that they can’t concealed carry(the train destination/departure point is Chicago). Otherwise a whack-job with a knife might try to kill assorted employees and passengers, and they would be defenseless.
Is this affirmative action for attempted mass murders? You can’t just call them crazy by instead they are the victims?
Didn’t realiZe gangster lean was an official portrait stance in the U.S. army.
As a Facebook commenter stated, this is not PTS. It is most likely schizophrenia. The man may be crazy, and a Vet, but it is not PTS that has made him hallucinate and attack people.