Deputy shoots self, makes up story
GLC1173
Carolina - Sgt. Brian Barker of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Dept. and son of
the sheriff certainly falsified a report Monday and likely shot himself as
well.
Brian Barker had a troubled past before being hired as a deputy by his
father; in more normal circumstances, his father would have been arresting him
- not hiring him. Ten years ago, he had shot off an AR-15 rifle while holding
his parents hostage; his father said it was just a "misunderstanding" on his
wife's part when she called the police about her son having fired the rifle in
their home. Nonetheless, Brian Barker even rose to a department tactical team
in his father's sheriff's department.
On Monday, Brian Barker claimed to have been shot by one of two Hispanic men
while stopping an old Chevy - but ballistics tests found that the bullet in him
and shell casings on the road were from a .45 he owned that was found in the
trunk of his patrol car.
==========================================================
The Winston-Salem Police Department called off a massive manhunt yesterday for
the fugitives who supposedly shot the son of Sheriff Ron Barker as they
developed evidence that Sgt. Brian D. Barker shot himself.
Assistant Chief Mike McCoy of the Winston-Salem Police Department said last
night that detectives found the .45-caliber pistol that fired the bullet that
tore through Barker's abdomen in the trunk of Barker's cruiser. Barker told
investigators that the pistol is his, McCoy said.
''As of now, we do not think there was anyone else at the scene,'' McCoy said
at a press conference outside the Public Safety Center on Cherry Street.
McCoy said that the police have not finished their investigation, and District
Attorney Tom Keith said he would wait until then before deciding whether any
charges should be filed against Brian Barker.
News of the events traveled quickly along the law-enforcement grapevine.
Undersheriff Robert Joyce said that at first he didn't want to believe that
Brian Barker shot himself.
''You can always hope that it's not true, but the evidence seems to indicate
that it is,'' he said last night.
Since Barker was reported shot Monday afternoon on Cragmore Road in southeast
Winston-Salem, investigators with the police department and sheriff's
department had conducted an extensive sweep for suspects, who Brian Barker said
were Hispanic men. They set up roadblocks, canvassed Hispanic neighborhoods and
worked overtime to close the case.
They finally found a suspect.
A Forsyth deputy who did not want his named used said he got a call yesterday
afternoon from a member of the sheriff's team that was following the police
investigation.
''He said, 'They have the suspect over in Baptist Hospital.' And I said, 'Well,
who shot him?' ''
The investigator replied, ''You don't understand; it's Brian.''
Joyce said that Sheriff Barker was devastated when he was told of what
happened.
It was one more sharp twist in one of the toughest weeks in the sheriff's
professional career.
Sheriff Barker has been embroiled in a sexual-harassment lawsuit in federal
court since Feb. 1. His mother also had heart surgery during the first week of
the trial. On Monday during the middle of a day of testimony, he was told the
frightening news that his son had been shot. He left the trial pale and
shaking.
As it was first reported, Brian Barker radioed in to dispatchers that he was
stopping a burgundy Chevrolet Impala for speeding on a secluded road in
Winston-Salem. Four minutes later, after dispatchers called to check on him, he
said he had been shot in the lower left abdomen. He told officers who arrived
at the scene that several Hispanic men were in the Impala. His cruiser was full
of blood, and the windshield was riddled with bullet holes.
He was rushed to Baptist Hospital, where doctors operated to repair the damage.
He was in stable condition last night as police announced their findings to a
bank of news cameras and reporters.
Pieces fall into place
The investigation slowly circled back to Brian Barker. First, the tag number
that he reported was wrong, belonging to a person who was in Cabarrus County at
the time of the shooting.
Later, Brian Barker changed his story. At first he had said he was shot in the
cruiser, but changed his account after police said that evidence pointed to him
being shot outside.
The most crucial piece of evidence was the .45-caliber Colt semiautomatic
pistol found in the trunk. Ballistics tests matched the gun to slugs found in
the cruiser. Investigators haven't said how the gun got in the trunk.
Brian Barker told police that he was too ill to talk to them yesterday, but
investigators will try to interview him again, McCoy said.
Linda Davis, the interim police chief, said that Brian Barker's hands were not
tested for gunshot residue on the day of the shooting because there was no
reason to doubt his story.
''We are conducting an investigation based on the facts as they were reported
to us,'' Davis said.
Davis and her top aides briefed Joyce on their findings late yesterday
afternoon.
He met with the sheriff's assistants and captains about 6:30 p.m. and told them
what the police had found.
The commanders told the rank-and-file deputies so they would hear it from their
own people, Joyce said.
''I wanted them to know before it came out in the press,'' he said.
Runs in the family?
Brian Daniel Barker, 31, grew up in the shadows of two good officers, his
father and older brother.
Sheriff Barker was a likeable, old-fashioned sheriff's detective who was fired
after making a run for sheriff in 1986 and came back and won election as
sheriff in 1990. Brian Barker's brother, Michael, is a former FBI agent who is
a detective with the Winston-Salem Police Department. Michael Barker's son,
Kevin, is also with the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Barker has said that Brian Barker grew up with law enforcement as a
sort of family religion. It was instilled in him, a part of who he is.
Sheriff Barker was proud and glad that his second son also wanted to follow in
his footsteps.
But there were indications that Brian Barker may not have been cut out for law
enforcement.
In March 1988, Brian Barker, then 21, took an AR-15 rifle and had an outburst,
a report from the Kernersville Police Department says.
The report says that Patricia Barker called police and said that her son had
been depressed and ''gone off the deep end.'' Sheriff Barker tried to take the
rifle away from him, and Brian Barker hit him in the head with it, opening up a
cut, she told police.
One shot was fired into the house, the report says. Police surrounded the
house. The reports say that Brian Barker looked out the windows occasionally.
He finally gave the rifle up after Michael Barker came to the house four hours
later.
Sheriff Barker said in 1997 that the ''standoff'' was a misunderstanding.
Brian Barker was holding the rifle and accidentally fired it. The sheriff said
that it scared him so badly that he slipped and banged his head.
He went outside and waved the officer away, and then he and Brian Barker talked
for hours. Sheriff Barker said he did not know that police had surrounded the
house and were waiting.
===========================================================
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YaKnow
GLC1173 wrote in message <19990211154837...@ng-fu1.aol.com>...
> Two counties from here - in Forsyth County, home of Winston-Salem, North
>Carolina - Sgt. Brian Barker of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Dept. and son
of
>the sheriff certainly falsified a report Monday and likely shot himself as
>well.
Our area had a deputy that shot himself a couple of years ago. As I recall
he initially claimed to have been shot by someone else, but eventually
'fessed up. I never did hear what kind of action they took against him.
MaryHedman
By
Peter DiVasto, Ph.D.
Contract Psychologist
Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department
and
Gina Saxton
Research Assistant
University of New Mexico
A passing motorist discovers a wounded deputy on a two-lane highway. The
citizen frantically radios the sheriff's department and reports that the deputy
has been shot and is nearly unconscious. Responding units begin an extensive
search for a motorist who, according to the deputy's account, shot him after
being stopped for a routine violation. The bullet lodged
in the deputy's safety vest.
However, as the deputy recuperates at a nearby trauma center, the massive
manhunt fails to produce a suspect. Investigating officers soon become
skeptical of the deputy's story and confront him with their doubts. He admits
that he shot himself in the vest and planned to do so for several days. The
deputy attributed his behavior to stress caused by overwork and to a desire to
keep his wife from leaving him.
A thorough psychological evaluation is conducted, which reveals the deputy to
be somewhat depressed, nonpsychotic, and lacking in self-esteem. Treatment for
these problems, as well
as marital therapy, is recommended.
MUNCHAUSEN'S SYNDROME
Definition
This case illustrates a classic example of Munchausen's Syndrome--so named
after the Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Von Munchausen, a colorful figure who
delighted the royal courts of
late 18th century Europe with tales of his heroic exploits. Although his
veracity was never directly questioned in polite society, it was widely
believed that the baron was perhaps the
greatest liar on the continent. In his eagerness to impress audiences, he
routinely invented encounters in which he received seemingly life-threatening
wounds, only to recover again to set
out for more adventures.
Today, Munchausen's Syndrome falls into the category of mental illness known as
factitious disorder, first identified in a psychiatric sense in the early
1950s. (1) In a typical
scenario, an individual self-inflicts illness or injury (or complains of
illness) and then defies medical treatment by remaining ill, despite the best
efforts of doctors. (2)
While Munchausen's Syndrome is in no way limited to the law enforcement
community, the unique demands of the law enforcement
profession create an atmosphere in which this type of disordermay be more
common than in the general population. For this reason, law enforcement
managers should be aware of the specific
causes and possible clues to this baffling and troubling disorder.
General Characteristics
Patients exhibiting Munchausen's Syndrome present themselves to a clinic or
emergency room with acute and dramatic symptoms. (3) They are usually admitted
to a hospital, where
their symptoms ebb and flow and cause great consternation among the medical
staff. Symptoms appear, seemingly at will, and abnormal lab studies soon fill
the patient's records. If
suspicion is aroused, it is often discovered that the patient actively takes
steps to remain ill. When confronted with this information, the patient usually
leaves the hospital, only to reappear later at another health care center.
One of the most curious features of Munchausen's Syndrome is the apparent lack
of obvious reward. The motivation for the
disorder is thought to lie within the patient's psyche, amid such dangerous
psychological corridors as symbolic castration, masochism, the cheating of
authority, or erotic desires. (4)
Munchausen's patients should be distinguished from those persons who are
malingerers or those who may injure themselves for other reasons. Malingerers
have a specific goal in mind,
such as in worker's compensation cases. Prolonging an illness has a definite
purpose, i.e., financial reward. Those who injure
themselves out of low self-esteem or poor impulse control usually do so in a
direct manner and do not deny their active involvement.
Munchausen's patients, on the other hand, cling to denial, even in the face of
overwhelming evidence that they have been the source of their own illness or
injury. If questioned in
detail, these patients often engage in "pseudologia fantastica," (uncontrolled
pathological lying.) (5) Munchausen's Syndrome
often persists for years and can lead to serious medical complications, and
even death, as a consequence of self-induced illness.
MUNCHAUSEN'S IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
As mentioned previously, the occurrence of Munchausen's Syndrome in law
enforcement may stem from specific factors in an officer's life, such as
deteriorating personal relationships,
job-related frustrations, or other problems. There are two general models of
Munchausen's Syndrome identified within the
law enforcement context. The two models, distinguished as Type A and Type B,
share similar characteristics, but are induced by different factors.
Type A Dynamics
The role of the police officer in modern society is complex and often
difficult. Performing duties under the scrutiny of
the public, press, and courts demands competence and decisiveness. The ability
to project these qualities is valued highly within the law enforcement culture.
However, mastery of
these skills does not come without a potential price.
Law enforcement officers, who strive to be in control at all times, may find it
difficult to admit when their relationships, jobs, or even they are out of
balance. However, this need for control may prove highly dysfunctional and
counterproductive when it inhibits an officer from seeking needed help.
It is this uneasiness with loss of control that leads to the most common source
of "Officer Munchausen" incidents. An officer, faced with overwhelming
interpersonal stress or threat
of loss, creates an incident in which he (very few, if any, female officers
have reportedly been involved in these occurrences) is the victim, and
occasionally, the hero.
The common thread that runs through Type A incidents is that of the officer who
is experiencing significant stress from
interpersonal issues and is unable to cope. The opening scenario depicted the
typical characteristics of the Type A
incident. In an attempt to manipulate the other party's behavior, the officer
creates a situation in which he becomes the focus of sympathy, concern, and
care. In this regard, the type A dynamic is much like that of the suicide
gesture.
Type B Dynamics
The theme that underlies the other common cause of Munchausen's Syndrome cases
in law enforcement is that of affiliation. In many ways, a police organization
resembles a fraternal society, in which bonding is important and there are
varying degrees of status. This hierarchy is determined less by rank than by a
combination of length of service and the accumulation of milestones. These
milestones include such
events as arrests of dangerous persons, riot control, gunfights, and pursuits.
It is the successful performance under pressure in
these critical incidents that earns one the position of a full-fledged member
of the order. The rookie officer may not be accepted as a legitimate peer until
successfully involved in a
critical incident.
The officer who has not been exposed to danger may feel the need to invent such
an incident to achieve credibility. Thus,
the dynamics of the Type B incident appear, as illustrated in the following
actual case:
A deputy is assigned to an elite park patrol unit that has a history of
physical encounters with various law breakers. The "esprit de corps" of the
12-member unit is very high; volunteers for assignment in the unit are many.
The deputy has served in the unit for 2 years, and although he has made several
arrests, he has not been involved in any major physical confrontation. While
unusual for the unit, this has not been the basis for any harassment directed
at the deputy by other members of the force.
During an undercover drug operation, another member of the police department
covertly observes the deputy inflicting injuries on himself. Specifically, he
is seen hitting his face five times against a brick wall in a secluded area of
the park. After inflicting the wounds, he
transmits an "officer needs assistance" call.
When the true source of his injuries is revealed, however, the deputy is
indirectly castigated by the other members of the unit. He eventually requests,
and is granted, a transfer to another assignment. (6)
Obviously, the pressure to achieve parity and acceptance in a law enforcement
environment is strong, as evidenced by this case. An officer who feels the need
to fabricate a critical incident may be manifesting perceived ego deficits or
may simplybe reacting to that pressure, often combined with boredom.Whether an
individual will repeat this behavior again is difficult to predict, but is
dependent, in part, on the department's willingness to confront the officer
with the
serious personal and departmental issues involved.
CONCLUSION
The demands placed upon law enforcement officers are great. Occasionally, these
demands, coupled with a perceived lack of community appreciation or other more
personal issues, cause
officers to react in ways detrimental to both themselves andtheir departments.
Officers who intentionally inflict injuries to themselvesgenerally do so for
specific reasons. They may be trying toalter unsatisfactory career or personal
circumstances (Type A Dynamics), or they may be attempting to gain the
acceptance of
their peers (Type B Dynamics).
In any case, police supervisors and counselors should beaware of the causes of
Munchausen's Syndrome. The specific circumstances that lead an officer to take
this action should be
carefully analyzed. For, as with most disorders of this type, understanding the
causes will usually assist in determining the most appropriate solutions.
ENDNOTES
(1) R. Asher, "Munchausen's Syndrome," The Lancet, i, pp. 339-341.
(2) P.J. Connelly and F. Gilmour, "Munchausen Syndrome: New Causes for
Concerns," Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 50, p.
73; G. Baran, W.G. Vas, M. Sundaram, and C. Markivee, Skeletal Radiology, 18,
pp. 459-461; G. Caradoc-Davies, "Feigned Alcohol Abuse," British Journal of
Psychiatry, 152, pp. 418-420.
(3) Ibid.
(4) K. Menninger, "Polysurgery and Polysurgical Addiction," Psychoanalytical
Quarterly, 3, pp. 173-199; H.R.
Spiro, "Chronic Factitious Illness," Archives of General Psychiatry, 18, p.
569; H. Schoefeld, J. Margolin, and S. Baum,
"Munchausen as a Suicide Equivalent: Abolition of Syndrome byPsychotherapy,"
American Journal of Psychotherapy, XLI, pp.
604-612; see also L. Puig, M. Perez, A. Llavrado, J. Esquius, A. Moreno, and J.
Made Maragos, "Fictitional Dermatosis of the
Breast: A Possible Dermatologic Manifestation of Munchausen's
Syndrome," Cutis, 44, pp. 292-294.
(5) B.H. King and C.V. Ford, "Pseudologia Fantastica," Acta Psychiatrica
Scandinavia, 77, pp. 1-6.
(6) Based upon an eyewitness account by Lt. Michael Harpster of the Bernalillo
County, New Mexico, Sheriff's Department. Additional research and accounts
provided by Hugh Miller, M.A., of the Tampa, Florida, Police Department.
GLC1173
>However, as the deputy recuperates at a >nearby trauma center, the massive
>manhunt fails to produce a suspect. >Investigating officers soon become
>skeptical of the deputy's story and confront >him with their doubts. He admits
>that he shot himself in the vest and planned >to do so for several days.
>The
>deputy attributed his behavior to stress >caused by overwork and to a desire
>to
>keep his wife from leaving him.
None of which applies to the Winston-Salem case of Sgt. Brian Barker.
Barker's troubles began long before he was in law enforcement; he took his
parents hostage ten years ago with an AR-15 and shot off a round in the house.
His father - who became sheriff a few years later - hired him as a deputy
anyway.
>The theme that underlies the other common >cause of Munchausen's Syndrome
>cases
>in law enforcement is that of affiliation. In >many ways, a police
>organization
>resembles a fraternal society, in which >bonding is important and there are
>varying degrees of status.
>This hierarchy is determined less by rank >than by a
>combination of length of service and the >accumulation of milestones. These
>milestones include such
>events as arrests of dangerous persons, riot >control, gunfights, and
>pursuits.
Here you may be on to something.
Sgt. Brian Barker's colleagues did not like him before this incident - due
to Daddy Sheriff having given him one of the newest patrol cars while
experienced deputies drove clunkers, giving him an assigned parking space in an
area for assistant sheriffs, and putting him on the tactical team despite his
lack of street experience - because Sgt. Barker was, after all, just assigned
duties where he was unlikely to get into mischief, chiefly transportation and
supply.