{"id":73944,"date":"2017-08-12T08:15:04","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T12:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=73944"},"modified":"2022-01-13T20:34:52","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T01:34:52","slug":"katie-ann-blanchard-army-nurse-doused-in-gasoline-set-on-fire-and-stabbed-by-civilian-co-worker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=73944","title":{"rendered":"Katie Ann Blanchard, Army Nurse doused in gasoline, set on fire and stabbed by civilian co-worker."},"content":{"rendered":"

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For over \u00a0a year Lt. Blanchard had warned her command that\u00a054-year-old Clifford Currie was a threat to her safety.<\/p>\n

At approximately 5:10 p.m. on September 7, 2016, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (NP) at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, heard screaming from an office adjacent to hers at Munson Army Health Center. The civilian NP ran into the hallway and found 26-year-old 1LT Katie Ann Blanchard, an active duty Registered Nurse (RN) and mother of three, on fire from the waist up. (Details of the attack from the FBI Criminal Complaint, dated 8SEP16 can be found\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

The smell of gasoline filled the hallway. The NP could see another coworker, 54-year-old Clifford Currie, in the office with Katie. \u00a0He was clutching a straight-edged razor in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other. Currie, a short, rotund man weighing well over 200 pounds, was screaming at Katie and stabbing at her face even as she was engulfed in flames.<\/p>\n

The NP rushed in and attempted to help Katie put out the flames and get away from Currie. Both the NP and Katie fell to the floor while struggling with Currie, who continued to stab at Katie while putting his foot on her neck and hollering incomprehensibly.<\/p>\n

A Doctor from a neighboring office heard the commotion and rushed to assist. She and the NP struggled to restrain Currie, who continued to stab at Katie. Even with Katie\u2019s two heroic female co-workers fighting him, Currie was hell-bent on continuing his assault as Katie lay smoldering on the floor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Clifford Currie: Employee of American Federation of Government Employees Union<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/center><\/p>\n

One would think the horror of this event would have some kind of closure because Clifford Currie was found guilty this past week\u00a0of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder. He is facing 20 years in federal prison and will be sentenced in October. \u00a0Sadly there is much more to become outraged about when it comes to this case.<\/p>\n

For most of the thirteen months that she worked with Currie, she tried to have him disciplined or removed\u00a0before<\/em>\u00a0his disturbing behavior would eventually escalate to\u00a0her\u00a0<\/em>attempted\u00a0<\/em>murder<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Katie was Currie\u2019s immediate supervisor, and she wrote over twenty negative counseling statements for Currie stemming from his consistently abysmal work performance, complaints directly from patients, and his outright negligence in performing his role as the Exceptional Family Member Program Care Coordinator. Katie repeatedly communicated to her command that she felt unsafe with Currie at work, and she felt untrained to deal with his combative attitude and escalating threats.<\/p>\n

Currie overtly threatened Katie on multiple occasions prior to the September 7, 2016, attack.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Katie and her husband before she was brutally attacked.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/center><\/p>\n

Clifford Currie was a member of AFGE (American Federation of Government Employees Union). \u00a0It is being reported that his Union President, Audrey Harris<\/strong>, has loudly stated to multiple employees at Munson Army Health Center, that Katie “deserved” what she got. \u00a0She did not deserve to be doused in gasoline, lit on fire, stabbed and beaten. \u00a0It is my understanding that Audrey Harris<\/strong>\u00a0 is still employed with the AFGE Union Local 738<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When Katie\u2019s initial Section Chief transferred from Leavenworth, her\u00a0new\u00a0<\/em>Section Chief took Katie\u2019s pleas for help seriously. She endeavored to stop Currie before he escalated by going to the next Officer in the Chain of Command. But this Section Chief\u2019s effort to put a stop to Currie\u2019s behavior using the proper protocol was met with an admonishment that both she and Katie were acting irrationally\u00a0as women<\/em>\u00a0and needed to come with facts\u2014and not emotions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It appears to me that Clifford Currie is not the only one that should be held accountable for what happened to Lt. Blanchard.<\/p>\n

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Before and After picture<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/center><\/p>\n

It seems the Command and AFGE need to have their altitude adjusted. \u00a0 There is much more to this case. \u00a0Google is your friend. \u00a0I am not sure who should be contacted if anyone wishs to voice their concern, but I think this guy:<\/p>\n

Michael Kelly – National Vice President, District 9
\nPhone: (405) 670-2656
\nFax: (405) 677-8481
\nkellym@afge.org<\/p>\n

Seems like a good place to start. \u00a0I will post some links below.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Toxic Command: US Army Ignores Nurse’s Yearlong Pleas for Help; 1LT Survives Attempted Murder by Deranged Civilian<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n