Only in America?

WLD Azheimer killingThis story comes from Chattanooga in Georgia, USA, where 72-year-old Ronald Westbrook, suffering from Alzheimer’s was wandering the streets at 4am, confused, cold and lost. Finally he spotted the only house with a porch light on and decided to look for some help.

Mr. Westbrook, whose condition was described as ‘advanced,’ had been walking around for about four hours and had covered nearly three miles in freezing conditions. He rang the doorbell and turned the door handle at the house, which was enough to get Joe Hendrix, who was visiting his fiance at the address, to go outside with a handgun and confront the elderly man.

Hendrix shouted several commands at Mr. Westbrook, who did not respond as his condition had rendered him more or less mute. With no response forthcoming, Hendrix fired four shots at Mr. Westbrook, hitting him in the chest and killing him.

The police were called and after some enquiries, Mr. Westbrook’s body was removed and Mr. Hendrix was allowed to leave the scene in his own car pending further enquiries. The ‘further enquiries’ resulted in an announcement later that day by District Attorney Herbert ‘Buzz’ Franklin, in which he said Mr. Hendrix was justified in shooting Mr. Westbrook as he felt threatened and that there would be no charges filed.

Note: Strange coincidence; but I dealt with a very similar incident whilst working for the police in the UK. I took a call from a couple who had a man in his seventies wandering around in their garden in a rural part of Wiltshire. He had tried all the doors of their house, including the garden shed.

I sent a police car to the house, where the officers found the old man in the couple’s kitchen wrapped in a blanket and drinking tea. They said he had appeared quite aggressive at first and wouldn’t speak, but they realized his was just cold and confused and eventually managed to lead him inside.

I know it is a very different world in the US and we probably don’t have all the facts of the incident in the US… but felt it worth a mention at least.

(News: Wonky World)

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