The soldiers who we forgot, 1998
The soldiers who we forgot, 1998
Kyle Dinkheller was a 22-year-old police officer in Georgia, USA. On January 12, 1998, Dinkheller pulled over Andrew Brannan for speeding. What happened next has divided millions of people on the moral issues of the event that happened next.
Brannan was a Vietnam War veteran with serious psychological issues that worsened. He had several traumatic experiences in Vietnam and had gotten help for his problems. He was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and bipolar disorder. However, the help he got was insufficient, though there is limited information on what kind of help he received and what type of help was offered.
In the confrontation, Brannon becomes highly aggressive and taunts Dinkheller. Throughout the interaction, Brannan seems to act like he is back in Vietnam in a combat situation. After pulling out a rifle from his truck, he engages in a shootout with Dinkheller and kills him.
During the shooting, Brannan engages in different manoeuvres used by the US Army in firefights. He then got back into his truck and sped away. He was arrested the next day.
During his trial, Brannan's defence argued that his PTSD played a significant role and that he was experiencing a flashback to his time in Vietnam. The judge did not accept this, and the prosecution argued that Brannan's actions were intentional. Brannan was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed on January 13 2015.
The whole event sparked numerous debates. The main argument was that there are not enough services for combat veterans to use to help treat their psychological issues. Despite getting help, Brannan's PTSD worsened. There is also an argument to say that the police are not trained to deal with veterans who might be experiencing a violent episode. It was also argued that Brannan should not have been allowed to own a gun as he was not mentally stable to do so.
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