A suicidal veteran’s plea for help could land him in jail
Sean Duvall, a 45-year-old homeless Iraq War veteran, told the Department of Veterans Affairs counselor who answered the hotline that he was going to kill himself. He was armed with a homemade gun made from a pipe.
Police arrived and took him to to a psychiatric facility, and he appeared to be making progress. But after his release, he ran into a big problem: He now faces charges of manufacturing and possessing the homemade gun, and if convicted could end up with a 40-year prison sentence.
Veterans groups and mental health advocates are outraged, and say it could affect the willingness of troubled veterans to seek help. And the VA says veterans should have confidence in the crisis line.
