Bobo sends us a link to the story of retired Army Colonel Eric Peter Henderson who struck and killed Jaimie Jursevics a Colorado State Trooper while he was coming back from a Denver Broncos game, driving drunk.
On Nov. 15, Henderson killed Jursevics as she tried to wave him over to the side of the road following citizen reports that he was driving drunk. After the collision, prosecutors say Henderson attempted to hide evidence, including bottles, after he exited the interstate after the crash and drove away on a side road.
[…]
Henderson’s lawyers painted the retired soldier as a war hero who served several tours in combat and was diagnosed in 2013 with post-traumatic stress disorder. They said he had no criminal record and that he has been deeply affected by the case.
His defense was that the trooper wasn’t wearing her PT belt.
Another victim of PTSD – obviously, he did serve on a deployment – there’s a Bronze Star Medal at the top of the ribbon rack that he wore in the picture above at his retirement. But, there’s no Combat Action Badge and he left the military after serving his final years (2010-2013) at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC).
Anyway, he ended up with eight years in prison for vehicular homicide.
Cocksucker.
Word.
No personal responsibility.
Nice way to spend his retirement….but…at least he got one, the Lady Trooper doesn’t get one!! so much for his honor with the Bronze Star…he didn’t have the guts to face this one like a man!!
Every time one of these dirt bags claim PTSD was responsible for either a crime or something that should have been, it diminishes the help that bona-fides deserve. You would think a retired O-6 understood that shall not drink then drive. Throw away the key.
I wonder how many of his soldiers had to endure a weekly safety brief FROM HIM about not drinking and driving. I also wonder how many soldiers under his command he fried for doing the same.
I had a BDE commander (O-6) get a DUI, and he was well known to the ruthless with DUI offenders. It appeared to the troops that he got away with it, but it actually was a career ender. The guy was headed for 2, maybe 3 stars. Retired as on O-6 after a couple of do nothing assignments.
But the problem is, that guy’s O-6 pension check is more than an SFC’s active duty paycheck.
He’s crying into his pillow about not getting to flag rank, but he’s still living a comfy life forever.
We knew of an E-8 at our 1-star HQ that got a DUI. The CG’s policy was to kick people if they got a DUI and were convicted. She got convicted of DUI and got to hang around, so everyone else was like “WTF?” “oh, well she works at the higher HQ and the CG likes her, so she won’t be getting separated for this, unlike anyone in a subordinate unit he doesn’t know…..”
You would? I wouldn’t. A LT or a Captain, yes. But the higher up the chain of command you go, the stronger the “do as I say not as I do” attitude grows. So I could TOTALLY believe it.
Or another way to put it is one of my favorite Latin phrases: “Lex Bovis, Non Jovis”, i.e. “The law is for cattle, not for the Gods.”
If he had been just as drunk and pulled over on-post by the MPs, what are the chances he’d be arrested vs. driven home with no blotter entry?
Yeah, funny how that works. I’ll have to remember that Bon Jovi latin though, that’s a good one.
I remember when I was in Iraq Stars and Stripes had a letter sent in because an MP pulled the CG’s wife over for speeding. She kept telling him, “oh but I’m the CG’s wife and I’m in a hurry!” But it wasn’t an emergency. The kid wrote her a ticket, 30-45 minutes later the Shift Sergeant got a call from his commander saying, “don’t pull over the CG’s wife ever again!”
That got a huge response from a lot of people in further editions, but I don’t know what came of it. Hopefully the kid who was doing his job didn’t get hindered for that.
Yeah, that’s bullshit. I say that as a former cop and a former commanding officer.
Just after I took over my command, I got a letter from the “powers that be” proving that my wife had run a red light and that her EUCOM license was suspended for 90 days.
A lot of you might think I’m an idiot, but I took the license away for 90 days. My wife sure thought I was an idiot. She reminds of that…often.
It must be my Irish blood, but I fucking hate when the elites get away with shit. I won’t play that game.
Re: “If he had been just as drunk and pulled over on-post by the MPs, what are the chances he’d be arrested vs. driven home with no blotter entry?”
I don’t KNOW Martin because I never was in this situation but my THINKING was that a MP member of the E4 Mafia would like nothing better than bust my officer balls. Kinda like the Black Hats at Benning: they’ll say “Sir” while they have you resting (front leaning style). It’s the MP’s and Black Hat’s job and we treated each other with respect.
My SOP when driving on public roads is drive 5 to 9 MPH over the speed limit. When I’m on post the cruise is set to the speed limit or below. When my wife asked about the discrepancy, I explained to her that the chances of a local or state cop writing me a ticket was slim, but every enlisted MP on post is looking for an opportunity to get an officer.
You might think that, but as a former enlisted MP I can tell you that sadly, the E-4’s don’t have that discretion.
The decision to charge would be made by the MPOD (MP Officer of the Day.) An enlisted MP is actually not allowed to arrest an officer, that’s why you have an MPOD.
If an enlisted MP stops an officer and has to arrest him/her, the MPDO comes to the site and actually makes the arrest.
Ask any former MP about the crap he or she has seen high ranking officers and senior enlisted get away with that would have gotten an E-6 or below burned. But make sure you have a comfortable chair because it’s going to be a long list.
Here’s just a short one from me: Taszar Airbase in Hungary. Senior officer was drunk and disorderly. We routinely apprehended (arrested) enlisted soldiers for this. Officer was taken back to his quarters.
Oh, I think I forgot to mention – the officer in question? Yeah, he was the Provost Marshal (for those not familiar with the term, that’s the Army equivalent of the Chief of Police.)
That’s disgusting Martin. My attitude was I had to set the example and I’d expect someone in the CoC to be busted hard for violating that. But as we see here everyday, too many “leaders” don’t do that anymore (if they ever did).
I do the same thing Bobo…eyes glued to speedometer on Post.
There’s a real possibility that he’d done the same thing for years and gotten away with it. If so, the same alcohol intake that might cause a younger guy to think “I shouldn’t be driving” might cause Henderson to think “I know my tolerance, I’m OK to drive.”
I was thinking the same thing.
This probably wasn’t the first time that he pulled this drinky-drivey stunt.
This was just the first time that he got caught.
Trooper Jursevics had an 8 month old baby girl when she died. That little girl will grow up never knowing her mother.
In the rather medal-heavy 21st Century Army, that is a pretty undistinguished rack if the ‘senior officer I was there’ bronze star is pretty much it. Regardless, even if he has a legit case of PTSD – after all, combat is not the only cause, and getting butthole raped at the local gay bar repeatedly is probably traumatic – the choice to drink to excess and drive came from him, not any disease. No sympathy.
If you look at his OSR, he doesn’t have any numerals on it. So, he’s been CONUS his entire career except for that ONE deployment to Iraq for OIF with 4ID. That was probably a gift to him from someone because he was a slick sleeve as a Major. So, he got it in, hit his O-5 and O-6 boards with no issue and continued working CONUS for all but 1 year of his career.
He’s the epitome of staff weenie, always being around somewhere to wipe a flag officer’s nose. How did he make O-6? By being at the right place at the right time to kiss his Senior Rater’s ass as often as possible.
I was in the same Command as him. It’s very incestuous and most of the field grades in the good old boy system are rotated from one position in the staff to leadership to another and that is how they make O6 or O7. They make SURE the good old boys get put in all the “right” positions. Oh and their deployments are usually in Bahrain, not in Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere hard to deal with.
DAMN! I knew Henderson well…you nailed it. he always operated on “the fringe” and got away with it. We thought it would catch up to him…but not like this.
The Muffin man made him do
I swear ????
What is that thingie above his ribbon rack?
Space Badge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_and_Missile_Badge
A Space Cadet!
Sure acted like one!
Thanks. I looked but couldn’t find it.
That’s the Space Operations Badge.
He was the space chief at USARCENT from 2008-2010. His only deployments there were to Kuwait for a few months at a time, like every other slob at ARCENT. I’m guessing that those were his “multiple tours in combat” that his lawyer referenced.
The photos from his retirement show no overseas service bars, so, wherever he was with the 4th ID, he was there for less then 6 months. Honestly, it was tough not to get at least one OSB during a few years at ARCENT because Kuwait and Qatar were both typical TDY spots, and both counted for time toward an OSB while we were there.
He seemed like an alright guy at ARCENT, but trying to pull the PTSD card is a BS move.
Even “curioser”: he’s sporting the SWASM, which implies he served in SWA for at least 30 days sometime between Aug 1990 and Nov 1995 (inclusive). Unless that was a 30 day or so TDY, he’d be a virtual “shoe-in” for a OSB for that tour alone. Not having 6 mo total in-theater over BOTH conflict periods? Kinda . . . difficult to believe.
FWIW: the 4th ID also doesn’t seem to have been involved in the Gulf War. He’s also too young for Vietnam – so if he ever served in a combat zone with the 4th ID, it was during the GWOT. And I believe the “Combat Unit Badge” (AKA “SSI-FWTS”) implies either assignment or formal attachment to the 4th ID, not simply TDY in support of. Kinda odd for him to manage that without qualifying for at least an OS bar or two given the lengths of their GWOT tours, IMO.
Correction: did some further research, and soldiers TDY “in support of” a particular deployed unit apparently wear the “combat patch” of that unit. So I’d guess he must have been a “space liaison” to 4th ID during one of their early OIF rotations and opted to retain the GWOTEM vice swap it for the ICM. Or maybe he was their “rear liaison” in Kuwait. Dunno.
If he was at ARCENT he likely suffered PTSD when the Zone 1 DFAC ran out of ice cream or they closed the swimming pool (AKA the meat market) due to a sandstorm.
I got to spend a couple of months in Zone 1 in 2004. It was hell, I tell ya. Sometimes the line at Green Beans was a hundred yards long.
Bobo. My last trip over there 09-10
My job sent me to Kuwait all the time a lot of the 3rd Army guys were mad as hell because
They weren’t getting haz pay or any other special pay except COLA… I swear every time I was sent down there the place was a freaking meat market, they had concerts and all kinds of crazy stuff you never saw north of
K-Crossing if he got PTS from that place it’s because his booty call traded him in for something better
Just eight years for killing a trooper?
They did go lax on him, IMHO. I have a real problem with DUIs and folks who should know better getting a walk like this.
Now a 18 year old who does something stupid – I can see a light sentence. A retiree who by now ought to know his limits? Hit him with the book – and may him pay is full retirement check to the family of the slain trooper for the rest of his days.
Well, frankly I’m surprised he got 8 years for vehicular homicide if this was his first DUI offense. In Colorado, per this source the sentence range for vehicular homicide is 4 to 12 years if drugs or alcohol is involved.
I have no problem with him getting 8 years (or 12, for that matter). I’m just surprised he did if he had no prior record.
And, for the record: I’d have no problem with a 18-year-old naive kid who was driving drunk getting the same sentence, either. You kill someone, you pay the price. IMO for some things being young and naive simply isn’t an excuse – and isn’t a reason for being “cut slack”. Killing someone is one of those things.
I understand, Hondo. I’ve known good folks who were killed by drunk college kids.
But I’m thinking of the hypothetical case of a kid who goes to their first party where alcohol is served, who doesn’t know what 3 beers can do to them, and on the way home hurts someone. If the kid is truly torn up by his/her action, and it appears that he/she will learn to avoid driving drunk in the future, I can see a judge giving leniency to them.
We were all young stupid kids at one time or another – and I’m just glad that I never ended up killing anyone with my stupid driving (I never drove drunk, either). Although one girlfriend’s father was willing to kill me after a wreck that broke her ribs and gave her stitches.
I remember my first experience (at 16) with bourbon and coke. I didn’t realize I was drunk (first and last time) until after I sobered up. Fortunately I wasn’t driving that night, and when I was driving after that had experiential knowledge of what being drunk felt like, and never went there again.
So, yeah. I can see cutting a kid some slack. Someone my age (and/or with repeated DUIs) – nope. Not at all.
Slack for simple first-offense DUI, maybe. Slack for vehicular homicide? Um, kinda hard for me to buy that.
Last time I checked, even today it’s kinda hard to bring someone who’s dead back to life.
True.
But even in Scripture there were exemptions for what we may call negligent homicide. The killer had to live in one of the cities of refuge until the death of the High Priest, and after that could return home. If the killer left the city of refuge before the death of the High Priest, the Avenger of Blood (a close male relative) could kill him without repercussions. After that, the killer’s life was protected, and if the Avenger of Blood killed them he was guilty of murder and could be put to death himself.
The hypothetical I postulated would, I think, fall into this kind of “negligent homicide” scenario.
(And just for those who don’t know it: I am not arguing that we should impose OT law on the USA. We’d have too much difficulty determining who to count as the “High Priest” for one thing.)
He had a high tolerance and never got caught.
This cocksucker also left the scene, he should get life at least! I have no sympathy for these asshats that leave the scene, at least stay and try to render aid you drunken cocksucker! I hope you get ass raped in prison by Thor, Tiny, and all the rest of the gang!!
I’m sure that Bubba, Thor and the gang have a warm reception all ready for him when he gets to prison!
He’ll get the “special” from the prison deli soon – cockmeat sammich with extra manmayo – as part of his welcome package.
“He has been deeply affected by the case.”
Boo fucking hoo. I’m thinking Trooper Jursevics, her husband, and her daughter were “affected” a lot more “deeply.”
I hope this sack of shit gets to spend a nice, long residency in the hoosegow, with the BTJT crew as cellmates.
Yup, fuck him. I hope he chokes on prison cock for the entire 8 years.
I wonder, if the roles were reversed and young Jamie Jursevics, a housewife or computer programmer or barista, had struck and killed Eric Henderson, retired Army Major and hero of multiple “deployments”, what her punishment would have been? Any bets that she would have gotten the full 12 years, and the maximum fine?
He’ll have “teh PTSD” after his eight years are up and “the boys” have their way with shitbag drunk ERIC PETER HENDERSON.
I’m sure that Bubba & Thor are gonna have a ball breaking his ass in! PTSD, MY ASS!!! IMHO that’s what some Joe would try to use as an excuse for a DUI, but a retired FG Ossifer?
DIRTBAG!
8 years will no doubt ruin much of his life, but not to the level that he ruined Trooper Jursevics life and the lives of her surviving family members.
We lost a family member who was a Vietnam Vet to a drunk driver way back in the early 70s….the drunk killed him, his wife, and his daughter. It’s amazing to me that after 44 years we’ve still got a problem at this level caused by people who know better. Not should have known better he abso-fucking-lutely knew better. If you think you can drive while intoxicated today you are a fucking moron and a menace to society at large.
8 years, it ruins his life but not hardly enough…here’s hoping his family doesn’t have to pay his karmic debt.
I guess he didn’t listen to Top’s safety briefing.
Sounds something like what happened to me while I was at Fort Knox. Driving back to the post on a Saturday evening, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver. The drunk driver’s defense was “why didn’t I get out of his way?” See my website.
I’m afraid that (a) if I had a family member in the car with me and (b) I was physically capable of doing so, said drunk would wake up DRT.
TOTALLY Off Topic but since there isn’t A DOT…a refreshing encounter:
Grey haired Gent in Food Lion with an 82nd ball cap on. Both legs with braces. (No vest and no dog.) In an aisle I quietly said “All the Way!” It took him back for a second but he responded “Airborne!” He asked what unit and he told me a valid unit (307 Eng). Said no combat just CONUS support since he served in between conflicts. Clobbered in a couple of times (thus the well worn braces) and medically discharged as an E5.
Ain’t that nice? Honorable service with no posing.
Since you brought it up; An etiquette question for TAH*:
I was wearing my “Airborne DAD” t-shirt and got an “Airborne!” call. Not being personally Airborne qualified, I did not respond “All the way!” although I wanted to.
So, TAH folks: What is the proper response for an Airborne Dad in that situation?
*Etiquette questions and Shakespeare on TAH on the same day? Is this allowed?
How about: “Thanks but I’m a nasty leg but I AM the proud father of a Trooper”.
Don’t feel bad about being a leg. My Mama was a leg and she was great.
I cannot even claim leg status, since I never served. Dad served in 103rd ID in WWII, brother in 82nd before Grenada, and youngest son in Iraq and now NG in an AB unit.
(Brother got to pin his dress wings on my son, though. That was cool.)
(but thanks!)
Think the Graybeard family has done much more than most in furtherance of serving this country.
Respect to the Trooper and condolences to her husband and baby. This is the type of GoFundMe page to which I would donate. I pray she was maxed on life insurance.
Props, young Trooper.
^^^Word^^^
I’m quite sure he didn’t see her. There’s a good reason for the expression “blind drunk.” Would I have stood in a roadway and attempted to flag down a reported drunk driver at night? Hell no. That is stupid as shit. So, she supplied the target and he hit it. Great. She’s dead and he goes to prison. Great.