VA Police Kansas City VA

Was Elderly Veteran Death Caused By VA Police Beating?

The Department of Veterans Affairs is dodging questions from two US senators about a veteran’s death following a VA Police altercation at Kansas City VA Medical Center.

The veteran in question was Dale Farhner who died in May after an altercation with VA police outside the emergency department. A tipster reportedly told local press that Farhner was comatose after the confrontation and taken to a different hospital where he was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage.

The attack occurred May 10 and Farhner died May 12. He was 66 years old.

The Star, a local Kansas City newspaper, has been covering the story since the report, but VA has predictably dodged questions since the incident seven months ago.

VA records manager Laura Hughes wrote that she was withholding all of it “based on the open/pending status of the Veterans Health Administration Office of Security & Law Enforcement review.”

“Due to the open/pending status the documents are pre-decisional to VHA’s findings and decision regarding this incident,” Hughes said. “Based upon the information available to me I believe release of the records could potentially impair the deliberative process as release of the pre-decisional document to the public would likely negatively impact a frank discussion on matters of policy between subordinates and supervisors.”

The veteran’s autopsy was performed by Jackson County Medical Examiner. When contacted by The Star, spokeswoman Marshanna Hester refused to provide information.

“All documents prepared by and in the custody of the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office relating to this matter are investigative reports of a law enforcement agency and are thus closed records until the investigation becomes inactive,” Hester said Friday via email.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, sent a joint letter to U.S.Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie last week, asking for answers.

“We certainly appreciate the requirements of an investigation, but hope that after over six months some initial information can be forthcoming,” the letter reads. “The health and well-being of our veterans have been among our highest shared priorities in Congress. Please release any information that can be made public regarding Mr. Farhner, and if not, please explain the reasons why.”

Over the past couple years, Kansas City VA has seen a host of different lawsuits and scandals.

Two weeks ago, a lawsuit was filed alleging Kansas City VA Hospital failed to prevent Hep C patient deaths.

“There was a failure of protocol, both within the hospital (standards) and national standards for monitoring these patients,” said attorney Edward Stump. “They’re supposed to deal with these guys with their conditions, usually it’s twice a year — CT scans and ultrasounds of the abdomen, full physicals, full bloodwork, and those weren’t being done.”

Around six months ago, another lawsuit was filed for the death of a veteran where an agency healthcare provider damaged the man’s penis with a catheter ending in his death from sepsis.

Source: https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/health-care/article222800675.html

Similar Posts

22 Comments

  1. Thought you believed in law enforcement, many mistyped sentences. Your wushu washy. Just another paid by illegal skank va.gov or AFGE.loser. Their is no god in VAMC mfr period. American Speed
    PS died out term. Money Speed for pigs new happy

  2. TLC
    You are full of it, 1 post you r in for law enforcement, next dick infection. Stick ur god speed up your ass, whether vA scag or relative.

    Normal vA behavior to pretend then destroy. Best of shit ur way. Va is not ever to be considered a place for humanity or decency of healthcare.

  3. OMG -I couldn’t help myself but to re-post this comment, “Nothing says conspiracy more than “beaten and comatose outside a VA emergency room … and taken to a different hospital”.

    On the other hand, a quick and fatal beating sounds a helluva lot better than death by dick sepsis”

    – Too funny but also too sad – I wonder how the VA healthcare compares to the healthcare in the private sector? You know, is it just the VA or healthcare in general? My take on this is to be grateful that you are able to take care of yourself and do what you need to do in order to maintain this level of health because who knows what will happen to you if you need to seek medical care? I did and ended up 1 DAY from death, ooops.

    Godspeed

  4. SNAFU. Always the typical long waiting periods, excuses, phony letter writing crap, kicking cans down the road hoping for things to go down the memory hole, or rabbit holes. Privacy concerns of patients, under investigations, no info release for ‘public consumption,’ blah blah. Everything designed to keep truth out of media to protecting all the filth out there. Typical no real media or investigative journalism or public out-cry happening. With the family if any probably in fear of making too much noise over their loss due to well known retaliation by both the VA, and connected civilian hoods. After all they do have to protect all their own.

    When dealing with the levels of corruption and cover-ups in today’s culture not one damn element, station of people, reps, predatory medical systems, can be trusted and that includes coroners, LEOs, staff, or investigators. Some people out here know that very well and up close and personal by the VA or by the civilian health care systems. If the systems and laws worked some of us would be able to spend days fishing or something rather than spending the end years trying to expose all the crap going on while the public sleeps or too afraid to even turn in nursing homes for patient or elderly abuses, etc.

    So-called whistle-blowing protection laws aren’t working very well are they? There should be real news and reports flowing out of every hospital or clinic out there. Ignorance is bliss. Media more censored and silent as ever. Some of us demanding change and transparency are the enemies, not the murderers and true evil ones.

  5. I just can not understand WHY the Civilian, Local authorities don’t demand any and ALL documentation relating to a death. I bet if you or I had hit the man in the head, EVERYTHING related and THEN some would have been released to Everyone. That County Coroner should have already initiated a Coroner’s Inquest. Wonder how much that person is being paid to just turn a Blind Eye to unexplained deaths in their county???!!!
    I would also like to know where this Veteran’s family is?? Why are they not DEMANDING answers and actions??

  6. It’s sounding familiar. I am tempting to take myself outside VA medical care. The first noted change is that no one needs a pcp. You make appointment with the Dr. you need. Although, I began with pcp. The pcp, took care of a few things on her own. Something VA’S PCP’s are incapable of doing. I had better get healthy soon, the cut-off age for treatment with the VA is 73…

  7. VA records manager Laura Hughes wrote that she was withholding all of it “based on the open/pending status of the Veterans Health Administration Office of Security & Law Enforcement review.”………Seven months later, this is all they release? And then…….. “Based upon the information available to me I believe release of the records could potentially impair the deliberative process as release of the pre-decisional document to the public would likely negatively impact a frank discussion on matters of policy between subordinates and supervisors.”………What does this even mean? What would releasing it have to do with “policy” between subordinates and supervisors, sounds like whoever reported the incident “bypassed” their supervisor because nobody was reporting it in the first place, if what this vaguely worded press release even means, after reading it, it doesn’t really even make sense…(More transparency issues again)

  8. Not just the police, the entire place has the attitude FU. We work our tails off for you scum bags who don’t pay a nickel and no one can fire us says everyone. The biggest problem I hear about VA police is they don’t hire veterans. One time I drove 30 feet though a one way, happens over a 100x each day but picked me. I had a loud card and for some reason decided to mess with me. I told them watch and will see a car come within a minute or two, said didn’t care, I said having a bad day, was here to see shrink and would come to office when done, 3 idiots there now. She started to be nice and asked if could turn car off so can hear, was outside of car. So I reached in and one jerk pulled his gun out yelling for me to stop. I yelled at him was asked to shut off car and he needed to relax. Gave me a stupid piece of paper made on Word that was cut from 50 others out of on piece of paper giving warning. Was later called and apologized. Last year was screaming in pain and hitting cane against glass, 4 idiots show up and they huddled up for 10 minutes trying to put a plan together because I told them would not give any information. They gave me a ticket with no information for disorderly conduct. Another time was pretty bad and had to go to this special psychiatrist, so sat in waiting room. Someone turned on the military channel and of course war was on. Being suicidal I didn’t want to see or hear anyone getting killed or any kind of ammunition going off. I turned channel that one person was watching and tried to explain. Well he decided to tell me to F off and the 3 idiots came, they couldn’t understand that killing with people waiting to see a shrink was a bad idea. They told me people have the right to watch what wanted and if I didn’t want to listen I would need to leave that area and went home. Talked to advocate and called them idiots. The policy for the entire hospital is you can’t have any kind of violence on TV and no one is to change channels. So put into an anxiety attack because too stupid to realize constantly killing people on TV waiting to see a mental health specialist at a VA Hospital is a bad idea. It just adds to the hatred of walking in. When I go there I am extremely quiet, seems every time there someone tries to talk, calmly explain have problems and stay to myself and apologize. Over half the people who I try to explain, including the idiot police force looking for problems with being told I prefer to be alone and not socialize with anyone immediately turns to me being an asshole. Sometimes will explain they have the right to detain me and give a ticket. The only place on earth that sick people get in trouble for being sick. I find the place fueled by ignorance and people with nothing to do are looking to make something out of nothing so can tell each other how great they are. There are so many people that from working there for years doing nothing have acquired uncontrollable anger.

  9. These clowns the VA hires to secure the VA buildings and who abuse the Veterans and they couldn’t get a job working at McDonalds find employment at the VA, many probably rejects from other agencies or fired from police departments, who knows their real story but by now the VA should have had enough time to disclose what happened that dreadful day for the Veteran who was beaten and died from his injuries he obtained from the hands of these lowlife VA cops who had no business injuring this man, video surveillance and witnesses who probably observed the beating should step up and disclose what they saw that day

  10. Nothing says conspiracy more than “beaten and comatose outside a VA emergency room … and taken to a different hospital”.

    On the other hand, a quick and fatal beating sounds a helluva lot better than death by dick sepsis.

    1. Or having to go back to the VA for any appointments or claim follow ups for that inevitable denial

  11. If the “investigation” conducted by the VA last over six months and the VA is not fourth comming with all evidence to either vindicate or substantiate the VA Police Officer’s actions toward the Veteran/Patient, then a RICO suit needs to be filed on all parties responsible for covering up a possible victim crime.

  12. Cover ups take time, at least a year or more. Will this veteran get justice, no, he’s dead. Another Vietnam veteran killed by VA zealots.

  13. Ben, I need dates and locations of veteran suicides on VA property 5 years before and 5 years after the inception of the Cognitive Process Therapy was begun for PTSD. I postulate that the increase has been extreme from veterans who do not obsess, ruminate, brood or what ever term you want to apply to the mandatory listing of a daily “stuck point” from an incident that occurred that day.

    Most veterans with PTSD don’t think about their reactions. They are conditioned reactions, often irrational such as becoming angry because of a particular trigger. Since it is not a thought it doesn’t qualify as a “stuck point.”

    These “conditioned responses” (thoughtless responses as in Pavlov’s dogs) lead to the conflicts that all VA police should be well trained to handle without killing a veteran. Military training is designed to create such responses to deter the flight reaction in favor of the fight reaction. Police have the same training. The conflicts ending in death are set up as thoughtless acts.

    1. The problem is the veterans who cannot list those “stuck points” daily are thrown out of PTSD therapy and mental health. Vets either have to make things up of be thrown out of therapy with their compensation at risk. And the real problem is not addressed in therapy. The thoughtless conditioned responses. TBI victims and cerebral malaria victims often do not have the tools left in their brains to address bringing the trained condition responses under control.

  14. Suck my ass, VA…and have a very shitty xmas, you asshole murderers!!!

    You ONLY need “Barney Cops” out of fear of your passive-aggressive behavior may come back and bite you in that fat ass!! (you would be correct)

  15. Clearly it’s time we the people demand the cops who murder citizens no longer be able to hide behind the badge and department funded lawyers.

    The police officer who did this should not only be tried but if found guilty then summarily executed for murder. If some Joe shot some poor fool down range without multiple witnesses and probably cause under Barry shitstain sotero than fuck war buddy, you’re getting your balls hung out to dry no questions asked.

    Normally I am all for supporting the police but not when fraud and corruption allows murderers to roam free. Firing and barring from service will never balance the scales. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Life for a life.

    Police are people just like everyone else. They put their trousers on just like me, shit just like me, brush their teeth like me and I imagine we even use the same weaver shooting stance.

    Being a cop or politician is not a get out of jail free card.

    #justiceforfarhner

  16. If VA can’t wait to see us die, beat us to death!

    For every bet out there who is on social media, plaster these articles all over it! The more we damage/tarnish VA’s image the better!

  17. More likely than not. Most of us know the main cause of brain hemorrhage is head trauma. I think you can pretty much figure out the rest of the story. I don’t see why it takes months to figure that out.

Comments are closed.