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Re: First bitcoin related suicide?
by
Gareth Nelson
on 29/01/2014, 17:52:06 UTC
Maybe you've had better experience than me, but in all the cases i've contacted law enforcement over someone suicidal they've only responded if the person in question was making an active attempt - they did not respond when it was simply suicidal ideation without an active attempt.

When there is an active attempt, they will intervene, otherwise their response has usually been "not our role".

I have up close and personal experience actually. I'm not sure what type of work you do; a public servant/work in civil services... if this applies to you --> Just understand that you too could be named in a lawsuit should someone call LE because their spouse is having suicidal thoughts, LE don't respond for a 'welfare check' and the person follows through. Depending on your role, you could be named a defendant vice witness. I'd have to know more to determine whether vicarious or another form of secondary liability would apply.

But hell, with today's laws, people can sue for anything, right? Smiley  Let me get pulled over for intoxication (will never happen, I don't drink) and LE let me go with a warning and I get into a wreck and hurt myself or someone... I'd sue their asses for jeopardizing my life and others' because they failed to arrest me for DUI. Really I wouldn't sue, that's just an example to show you how far things can go.

Back on topic, perhaps you have a lazy department servicing your municipality, or they're just pulling a fast one over your eyes, IDK. Not all of them are good, and we all know the uninformed are taken advantage of. But if I were you, I'd become informed; just so I'd know I'm protected if something like that ever happened. Just saying. Sorry - I know I talk too damn much.

I've run online communities for autistics who tend to also have various mental health problems, including suicide threats - and in every case i've reported a threat to law enforcement they only acted if there was an imminent danger of an actual attempt, otherwise they advised it was not their role and stated that I should contact the individual's healthcare provider.

To be fair, in cases of an imminent attempt (i.e a person posted "i've just taken a bottle of pills") the police were quick to locate them and act. Simply seeing someone express suicidal thoughts was never enough to get law enforcement to respond.