Had a call of a 12 year old boy who hanged himself last night.  I was the first one on scene and the investigating officer.  The step father was performing CPR before my arrival but it was too late.  Fire and medics arrived on scene only a few moments and attempted to resusitate him with negative results.

It was my job not only to interview the family and investigate the scene but at the hospital it was my job to inform the family of his passing.  

Unfortunately this is not an open and close suicide case.  There are so many suspicious circumstances and nothing fits neatly in your pocket like you would like it too.

This is not my first dead body but my first juvenile.  Being a father myself I can not help but think of my children.  

I feel horrible because I was a little over board on another thread and can't help but think this case is still eating at the back of my head.

It has been easier to deal with adults, even the bloody ones but this was only a child.

 I know what you are talking about  I never knew the feeling until this past year after nine years on the job.  I wish I had some good advice for you but I'm at a lose for words on this subject.  

I was a SRO when one of my students that I knew and liked committed suicide.  I knew the student was using cocaine and knew the dealer.  I had to delay the take down on a Friday for the following week.  The student died that weekend.  I was told of the death over the nextel with no thought as to my feelings on the subject.  I never let on what I was feeling until some bad cop humor came up in the office about the death photos  Damm.....

I talked to a close friend who is also a LEO and had recently investigated a death of an infant.  I guess that helped us both.        

Suspecting the parents?

Quoted: Suspecting the parents?

I'm suspecting it was more of an accidental death rather than a suicide. But will have to wait for the autopsy results.

damn
Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out

damn....thats young for a suicide

Quoted: damn Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out

Lots of kids these days are suffocating themselves to get high.

Quoted: Quoted: damn Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out Lots of kids these days are suffocating themselves to get high.

Yup, first thing I thought. We actually got a bulletin on the trend.  Go to some preteen chatrooms/site and you are bound to see some post about it.

Yeah, it always changes things when its a child. I have two little school-age ones at home myself, never thought it would bother me till after they came around....      I've been a medic close to twenty years now and have lost count of all the child fatality calls/ resuscitation attempts since day one.  The feelings don't go away, they just get buried as you move on to the next call. I hope your investigation confirms an accidental asphyxiation, because a twelve yr. old committing suicide certainly digs at your heart a little deeper.

There may be something harder than seeing a child die, but I don't know what it is. You'll never see medical staff work harder than when a child's life is on the line, and when the efforts fail it's a collective heartbreak. I doubt it ever gets much easier.

Quoted: Quoted: damn Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out Lots of kids these days are suffocating themselves to get high.

I didn't even think about that kinda shit when i was 12 and i'm a young guy so that was 8 years ago.  Sad state of affairs

I know kinda what you mean. My second week on the job, (like 3 months ago) I was doing a club check to make sure no joes were getting stupid at closing time (0400). Found a crowd gathered, so me and my partner call in "possible fight" and "out at last." We park (one of the rare occations we did a 2 man patrol) around the corner, all psyched up to get our hands dirty. We come around the corner, and I between the time we parked and came around the corner, the windows on the second and third story had blown out. Yell back to my partner to get on the Horn and report a fire in the building next door. "Roger, I copy a fight adjacent to..." "Negative, ----. There is a fire adjacent to the club." Made contact with one very worried person standing right next to there yelling to people inside. "M'am, what's going on?" "We got most the people out, but my husband and three children are trapped on the top floor (attic area)." It turned out to be thier apartment. I looked inside, and the second story stairs were completely burned out. No way to make access to second floor, and first floor was completely in flames. Most I could do was move the crowd back after the fire blew through the tiled roof and the huge ass ceramic tiles were falling as far as all the way across the downtown street. Hardest thing I ever had to do was physically restrain that mother from getting to her children. Probably the hardest thing I ever will do, including this upcoming deployment.

Shitty ass feeling knowing that four people are cookin' so close and you can't do nothing, even while you know your entire job is to "Assist and defend."

Saw the German fire fighters pull at least one body out. I know they weren't american's living there, and I'm only responsible for US Army personel...but still....damn. Made me question myself for a while after that. Especially when Polezei approached my desk sergeant and tried to tell him that we didn't do everything we could. (Came bout this close to throwing military bearing out the window, let me tell ya.)

European FF take forever and a day to respond to shit. Then they just sit there and spray down from the outside. It was probably 25 minutes after we made the radio call and began crowd control until FF made entry.

Sorry, had that one pent up for a while, hadn't talked about it

/rant off.

We had a ten year old hang himself........... Thought he would get even with mom, and try and gain attention to himself as he was being punished, and was sent to his room........... I don't think  he expected to go as far as he did

Sad part was, his little sister found him.........


Do you guys have CISD? Give it a shot...........

Quoted: We had a ten year old hang himself........... Thought he would get even with mom, and try and gain attention to himself as he was being punished, and was sent to his room........... I don't think  he expected to go as far as he did Sad part was, his little sister found him......... Do you guys have CISD? Give it a shot...........

Not surewhat CISD is but we don't have anything for these kinds of calls.  Its actually pretty bad because its not something people here talk about.

Quoted: Sorry, had that one pent up for a while, hadn't talked about it /rant off.

I'm glad this thread has been given me the opportunity to talk about this and to allow others to talk about similar calls.

You try to tell yourself that its just another call and that you are just doing your job to "protect & serve" like the people on here love to throw around but I can't seem to toss this case aside as just another "report."

Quoted: Quoted: damn Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out Lots of kids these days are suffocating themselves to get high.

WTF?  Where did this shit start and when did it become a "thing to do"?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: damn Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out Lots of kids these days are suffocating themselves to get high. WTF?  Where did this shit start and when did it become a "thing to do"?

From what I heard there was a special on Dr. Phil about "The Choking Game"

its not a new game by any means but for some strange reason its gaining popularity again.  Now groups of kids are getting together and choking each other out until they almost pass out then taking the belt or whatever instrument they are using to choke the children with.

Its scary as hell because kids are dying all over the country right now.

I can definately feel my tolerance level has deminished quite abit and I'm a little quick to jump the gun right now, so I apologize up front if I come off as an asshole.

- Go

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: damn Autoerotic asphixiation and trying things out Lots of kids these days are suffocating themselves to get high. WTF?  Where did this shit start and when did it become a "thing to do"? From what I heard there was a special on Dr. Phil about "The Choking Game" its not a new game by any means but for some strange reason its gaining popularity again.  Now groups of kids are getting together and choking each other out until they almost pass out then taking the belt or whatever instrument they are using to choke the children with. Its scary as hell because kids are dying all over the country right now. I can definately feel my tolerance level has deminished quite abit and I'm a little quick to jump the gun right now, so I apologize up front if I come off as an asshole. - Go

Asshole..no!!!  It's so completely screwed up as to be unbelievable.  "Hey Bill, come on over.  I need you to choke me until I nearly die...thanks, see you in a bit".  Responding to a call to handle one of these has got to be difficult.  However, as a spectator I don't feel much emotion for this level of ignorance.  Unbelievable.......

well, yeah, choking yourself out, between the dead brain cells and adrenaline, will definately give you a euphoric rush when you regain consciousness...

we gotta get these kids back on weed.  It was a lot safer.

 I'm sorry you had to go through this.  Patty

Quoted: well, yeah, choking yourself out, between the dead brain cells and adrenaline, will definately give you a euphoric rush when you regain consciousness... we gotta get these kids back on weed.  It was a lot safer.

Something about a near death experience makes one feel euphoric.....GO FIGURE!!!

Here is the scoop on choking, I lost a friend in high school (10 yrs ago) who did it:

He was masturbating with a rope around his neck to cut the oxygen to his brain, it's supposed to give you some kind of "magical super orgasm"

He had the rope tied off to a railing on his basement steps and was sitting on the 3rd to last step.

When he passed out he slumped over and fell the extra 3 steps and the rope tightened, he never woke up.

He was a good kid, smart, good grades, we played lacrosse and baseball together. He was just young and experimenting I guess. He left behind a beautiful girlfriend that was a mess for years after.

I had never heard about this "choking" shit before his death.

I can not imagine trying something so stupid.  And I did a lot of dumb shit when I was young.

What ever happened to breaking windows or throwing rocks at cars? (you know!  the brilliant inspirations of youth! )

Quoted: Quoted: We had a ten year old hang himself........... Thought he would get even with mom, and try and gain attention to himself as he was being punished, and was sent to his room........... I don't think  he expected to go as far as he did Sad part was, his little sister found him......... Do you guys have CISD? Give it a shot........... Not surewhat CISD is but we don't have anything for these kinds of calls.  Its actually pretty bad because its not something people here talk about.

Critical Incident Stress Debrief……………… Wasn’t sure if LEO did this type of thing or if it was a fire service deal………. Basically it’s a group technique used after a critical incident. It is designed to minimize the impact of the event and to aid the recovery of people who have been exposed to disturbing events.

Quoted: Had a call of a 12 year old boy who hanged himself last night.  I was the first one on scene and the investigating officer.  The step father was performing CPR before my arrival but it was too late.  Fire and medics arrived on scene only a few moments and attempted to resusitate him with negative results. It was my job not only to interview the family and investigate the scene but at the hospital it was my job to inform the family of his passing.   Unfortunately this is not an open and close suicide case.  There are so many suspicious circumstances and nothing fits neatly in your pocket like you would like it too. This is not my first dead body but my first juvenile.  Being a father myself I can not help but think of my children.   I feel horrible because I was a little over board on another thread and can't help but think this case is still eating at the back of my head. It has been easier to deal with adults, even the bloody ones but this was only a child.

If your unit/department has a peer counseling group, I advise contacting one of them who has been through the same trauma, and do it soon.  Do not keep this inside, or you won't be on the job long......

Quoted: Here is the scoop on choking, I lost a friend in high school (10 yrs ago) who did it: He was masturbating with a rope around his neck to cut the oxygen to his brain, it's supposed to give you some kind of "magical super orgasm" He had the rope tied off to a railing on his basement steps and was sitting on the 3rd to last step. When he passed out he slumped over and fell the extra 3 steps and the rope tightened, he never woke up. He was a good kid, smart, good grades, we played lacrosse and baseball together. He was just young and experimenting I guess. He left behind a beautiful girlfriend that was a mess for years after. I had never heard about this "choking" shit before his death.

Ah, good old Autoerotic Asphyxiation.

Quoted: Critical Incident Stress Debrief……………… Wasn’t sure if LEO did this type of thing or if it was a fire service deal………. Basically it’s a group technique used after a critical incident. It is designed to minimize the impact of the event and to aid the recovery of people who have been exposed to disturbing events.

And damn good it is.

Talk to the local EMS or fire guys & see what they have to say about a CISD team to talk to.

I prefer somebody outside you're agency, it's easier for me to talk about things like this to strangers than people I know.

Had a 8 year old boy get zaped by 220, grandpa was doing CPR when we got there & pops was a ex cop.

Not pretty & he had no chance at all, but we worked him like he was our own along with the EMS crew (excellent paramedic on the bus) to try and help the family as much as possible.