March 26, 2011 Arizona jail officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
Timothy R. Bitsui, 22, who had worked at the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office for more than two years, was found at about 6 a.m. by hospital staff, said Commander Rex Gilliland of the sheriff’s office.
A series of events in the days prior to Bitsui’s death remain under investigation, Gilliland added.
According to Flagstaff police reports, officers were called to Bitsui’s home on the 1000 block of North Fourth Street Saturday afternoon on a report of a home invasion. Responding officers found Bitsui on the floor of his home. He had been bound at the feet with duct tape, his hands cuffed and a plastic bag secured and wrapped around his head.
Bitsui told responding officers that three men with their faces covered with bandannas rushed into his home and assaulted him.
Gilliland said that Bitsui had minor cuts and abrasions on his face and arms. He also said that there was a noticeable amount of blood in the home.
Sgt. James Jackson of the police department said that the incident is under investigation.
WEAPON DISCHARGED
Gilliland said that Bitsui was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment Saturday night and was released to his family. While Bitsui’s apartment was being processed as a crime scene, Bitsui went to stay with family.
After the crime scene was cleared, Bitsui returned home and sent family members outside, Gilliland said. A concerned family member, who heard what sounded like bullets being loaded into a weapon, went into the home and found Bitsui making statements about wanting to kill himself and trying to shoot himself with a rifle, Gilliland said. The family member grabbed the barrel of the rifle, and Bitsui pulled the trigger, discharging the weapon.
Police were called to the scene and Bitsui was arrested on felony counts of disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon and endangerment. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation, then booked into the county jail and put on suicide watch.
On Monday, Bitsui was transferred to The Guidance Center for an emergency mental health evaluation, Gilliland said. On Tuesday morning, Bitsui was found dead by hospital staff in his room. He had attempted to secure the door to delay entry and had hanged himself with articles of his clothing.
PATIENT RISKS ASSESSED
Linda Cowan, CEO of TGC, said she could neither confirm nor deny Bitsui was a patient, citing federal laws that protect patient privacy. She also could not confirm whether a suicide took place on the PAC Unit.
She did say, not referring to Bitsui, that in her 15 years at TGC a suicide has not happened.
It is the policy of TGC to assess all patients who are brought to the PAC Unit to determine risk level, Cowan said. The risk level is determined by patient verbalizations, behavior and past history.
Staffing for the patient is then determined based upon that risk. The staffing level varies from one-on-one care with 24-hour supervision to routine care with periodic supervision, Cowan added.
All staff members on the PAC Unit are trained in the unit’s protocols, Cowan said, which include crisis intervention, de-escalation and restraint. The unit staffing levels depend on the number of patients admitted and acuity of condition. A minimum of two nurses, two technicians and a doctor — either on the premises or on 24-hour call — staff the unit.
Were a suicide to occur, Cowan said the incident would be reported to the state and the Joint Commission on Health Care Accreditation. The reporting is a requirement under standards for licensure.
TGC also conducts a “root-cause analysis,” Cowan said, to determine if changes or improvements to care are needed.
“Any opportunity to find the root cause,” Cowan added.
NO DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS
Sheriff Bill Pribil said that all detention officers and deputies undergo “emotional survival” training at the sheriff’s office. The trainings are conducted several times a year.
He added that Bitsui was well-liked at the sheriff’s office and had no disciplinary problems on his record.
Bitsui, born in Tuba City, was a 2006 graduate of Flagstaff High School. He was an active reservist for the U.S. Army National Guard and was training to become a police officer.
The case remains under investigation by the police department.
Source:AZdailysun
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