'It Never Gets Easy': Verdigris First Responders Process Another Murder-Suicide Scene

For several Verdigris police officers, Thursday night’s murder-suicide is the second similar scene they have had to process in the last three months. Leaders said these situations, especially ones involving children, can take a heavy toll on first responders.

The end of Thursday’s day shift came around 6 a.m. on Friday morning for some Verdigris officers. Many of them are already back in the office Friday.

Chief Jack Shackelford said some of his officers didn’t leave until the medical examiner cleared the scene around dawn.

“Sitting outside yesterday as an incident commander and watching the reaction on some of the officers’ faces and their personal reaction to what they saw when they went in, you could tell it had a big impact on them,” said Shackelford.

Shackelford has seen plenty of these scenes in his nearly 50 years of public service. He said when kids are involved, it is even more difficult for first responders to disassociate themselves from what they’re seeing.

“You many not at the time because we’re programmed to just do the job, go through the paces,” he said. “But, it hits you later. When you sit down and start reflecting on what happened, especially if you’ve got infant kids or younger kids."

While the scenes eventually clear, the images of what first responders have to see is something that does not go away.

“It never gets easy, and after a while, the general public thinks this is what you do and this is your job,” said Shackelford. “Yeah, it is what we do and it is our job, but you never become callous to it. If you do, you’re not in the right occupation.”

Shackelford said counseling and other resources are available. He said the department is coordinating those resources.

Debriefing with counselors plays a big part in processing these horrific scenes.

“You learn to compartmentalize it in a certain compartment in your brain and you leave it there,” said Shackelford. “Hopefully it doesn’t come back out, but trust me, after several years of doing this, it has a tendency to creep out sometimes."

Shackelford thanked the other agencies who stepped up to lend a hand last night.

He said mental health is something many struggle with, and encourages anyone who needs help to seek it before things get worse.

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It is our policy to provide resources for anybody considering self-harm when reporting about a situation involving suicide or a suicide attempt. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.

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