Senior Journal Opinion 8/21/00

We Must Find Answers to Dementia Violence

By Tucker Sutherland, editor

   A 72-year-old man shot and killed a state trooper over a seat belt citation, yet, neighbors and friends describe him as a kind man with a history of contributing to law enforcement agencies.

Is this another of the growing cases of violence based in dementia?

The Washington Post recently ran a story on such cases occuring around the U.S. (Washington Post Story)

Melvin Hale, a resident of Hays County, Texas,  contributed to the Texas State Troopers Association Officers' Memorial and the American Deputy Sheriff's Association less than a week before authorities say he shot Highway Patrolman Randy Vetter during a traffic stop on the Interstate 35 access road. (Story from San Antonio Express-News)

And, in what maybe a related development, senior citizens are the fastest growing group of criminals, according to a story from Fox News (Fox Story).

This growing evidence of violence by senior citizens with no past record of such behavior needs immediate attention by sociologists and other researchers. If the fastest growing segment of our population also becomes our most violent and criminal prone, we are all in trouble. 

This pending crisis also puts new emphasis on our need to better understand dementia and Alzheimer's - and find treatment.