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MT shooting early this morning, 1 dead, MHP trooper critical.


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Three shot, one killed near Wye, west of Missoula, then a fourth, MHP trooper Wade Palmer, shot in his car in Evaro, a community of ~300 ten miles north of Missoula on 93. Trooper Palmer was found by another responding unit, unresponsive and still belted into his seat. Suspect is in custody. Wade was airlifted to Salt Lake City this afternoon in critical condition.

https://www.abcfoxmontana.com/missoula/trooper-involved-in-early-morning-shooting-being-transferred-to-salt/article_30a8a804-4739-11e9-b78b-3b661e8380ea.html

 

If you have Facebook, here's the police escort from the Missoula hospital to the airport.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=335948580381887

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1 hour ago, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said:

That shooter is going to be passed around the prison like a nickle ho.

If the trooper dies, he’ll be a hero in there. :angry:

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†Prayers Up†

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The only thing that's come out about Mr. Palmer's condition is that he was upgraded from "Critical" to "Critical but stable" this morning. They are being VERY tight-lipped about this.

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Two weeks today, condition unchanged - still "critical, but stable" in an induced coma. From what I've read online, keeping someone in a medical coma for longer than two weeks is uncommon, and more than a month virtually unheard of.

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20 minutes ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

Two weeks today, condition unchanged - still "critical, but stable" in an induced coma. From what I've read online, keeping someone in a medical coma for longer than two weeks is uncommon, and more than a month virtually unheard of.

Yeah, that's usually to prepare for organ donating. :(

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There was a time when being a cop-killer meant an automatic death sentence. If you weren't shot on sight during the manhunt you'd certainly face the electric chair afterwards. These days however there's little to discourage these punks from ambushing and shooting police officers, and it seems I'm hearing it in the news more often than ever. Sign of the times, I guess.

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4 hours ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

Two weeks today, condition unchanged - still "critical, but stable" in an induced coma. From what I've read online, keeping someone in a medical coma for longer than two weeks is uncommon, and more than a month virtually unheard of.

In 1992 I underwent major spinal surgery and came down with pneumonia shortly after and I then developed ARDS, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and that’s usually fatal in most cases. Well the respiratory therapy department at UCSD medical center had just received this new breathing apparatus that reversed your breathing process and forced air into your lungs. In order to be on the machine they put me into a medically induced coma because if you’re conscious you fight the machine and die rather rapidly. Over the first few days that I was on the machine they blew nine holes in my lungs that had to have chest tubes inserted, they were learning how to use the machine and I was the guinea pig. They put me on the machine on June 13 and brought me out of the coma on August 11. The ARDS had passed and my lungs had slowly begun to heal. They may have put the officer in the coma to aid in his recovery if his wounds involved the lungs. 

 

A nephew of ours had had an open skull fracture and they kept him in a medically induced coma for just over a month and the piece of skull was installed in his abdomen to keep it healthy until they were able to go back in and put it back in after the swelling had gone down in his head.

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It is common to induce comas for head injuries, to give time for brain swelling to go down. Keep in mind that this extreme is used when nothing else will work, and the situation is dire. You never know what the level of function will be should they survive. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was placed in an induced coma, but not nearly this long. Every situation is different, but I will be very surprised at a positive outcome here.

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Three shots to the head, face, and neck. Allegedly, an AR15 was involved, but the media calls everything an AR15, so take that with a grain of salt.

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6 minutes ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

Three shots to the head, face, and neck. Allegedly, an AR15 was involved, but the media calls everything an AR15, so take that with a grain of salt.

 

Unfortunately it probably was. Not because AR-15s are uniquely deadly, but because that is literally all you see for sale in gun shops anymore aside from tactical shotguns. I can't even remember the last time I saw a Ruger Mini-14 for sale, and virtually none of the gun shops near me sell Old West guns or anything else. In fact you have to go to Walmart or one of the chain stores like Big5 to even find a Henry or Ruger 10/22.

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Great news this morning - After eighteen days, Wade was brought out of his induced coma, is now conscious, and has been upgraded from critical/stable to serious/stable. Due to facial and jaw injuries, and undoubtedly intubation, he is unable to respond vocally, but has shown recognition of certain people and commands. He was transferred from the University of Utah Hospital’s Neurological Critical Care Unit to the Neuro Acute Care Unit, and is scheduled to start reconstructive surgery for jaw and facial injuries on Thursday.

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Great news indeed!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

From MHP Website this morning:

 

TROOPER PALMER UPDATE:
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer continues to receive medical treatment at University Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. While he is showing indications that he recognizes certain people and things, all of his interactions remain non-verbal; he continues to interact with hand gestures and facial expressions. The extent of how much he understands remains unknown at this time. Nearly every day, Palmer undergoes physical therapy for continued strengthening of his left arm and leg. Limited movement has been detected on his right side. He is scheduled to have the wiring and screws from his reconstructive jaw surgery removed this week.

“The tasks that you or I take for granted have become much more significant for Wade,” said Colonel Tom Butler, chief of the Montana Highway Patrol. “His brain is becoming more aware of the sensory input and is relearning how to connect the dots, so to speak.”

*******************************************************

It sounds like there is significant neurological or brain damage. :(

They've changed/upgraded his status from "serious/stable" to just "stable".

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  • 1 month later...

Wade's progress has been better than expected, and he will be released from SLC, and flown back to Missoula tomorrow. After a check-in/check-up with his doctor there, he will be returning to his home tomorrow afternoon for continued convalescence. :)

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1 hour ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

Wade's progress has been better than expected, and he will be released from SLC, and flown back to Missoula tomorrow. After a check-in/check-up with his doctor there, he will be returning to his home tomorrow afternoon. :)

Awesome news!!!

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The plane has landed, and Wade is at St. Patrick's hospital in Missoula, and shortly on to his home in Stevensville, south of Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley. Newscasts are showing an astounding number of police and emergency services vehicles from all over the state, Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, and Idaho forming a homecoming motorcade. Flags hanging from ladder trucks, cranes, and overpasses, and well-wishers along the streets in Missoula and all the little towns in the upper Bitterroot along the route home.

Due to left-brain trauma, he is still unable to speak, and experiencing partial right side paralysis, but is responsive, recognizes people he knew before the shooting, and the long-term prognosis is good.

In Salt Lake City earlier this morning.

WadePalmer.jpg

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Montana tough!

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