VA Police Kansas City VA

VA Police Beating Of Veteran Ended In Death From Possible TBI, Stroke

USA TODAY was able to secure additional records in the death of an elderly veteran following a VA police arrest at Kansas City VA Medical Center.

The veteran who died was 66 year old Dale Farhner of Kingston, Missouri. VA has been tight lipped about an altercation May 10 with VA police that ended with Farhner in the Emergency Room with a brain bleed.

A new report shows an unnamed police officer pulled over the veteran who was driving on the wrong side of the road.

“After being pulled over, the patient began making inappropriate gestures and physically threatening motions with his arm,” the report says.

The officer also noticed a “large ‘bulge’” by the driver’s abdomen “(later found to be due to recent hernia surgery).” The cop probably thought the bulge was a weapon at first. He decided to detain him. The man “struggled.” So the officer “brought the patient to the ground.” He then completed the “handcuffing process.”

Farhner’s son witnessed the event.

“While being brought to the ground, the patient seemed to suffer some injuries,” the report says. VA officials apparently took Farhner into the VA hospital for an assessment.

“Upon arrival to the Emergency Department the patient was non-verbal, moaning with a decreased level of consciousness,” the report says. The veteran reportedly had “multiple” cuts and bruises on his face and scalp.

A CT scan redvealed a brain bleed meaning the veteran suffered a severe traumatic brain injury that included hemorrhage on the left frontal lobe and right frontal lobe. Rather than address the TBI at VA, the medical team decided to transfer the veteran to a different hospital 30 minutes away.

After arriving at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Farhner became less responsive requiring inbubation and lose of movement in his arm. A following CT revealed bleeding from additional places in the veterans brain. A separate scan also revealed that he suffered a stroke at the time from a blocked artery.

The injuries ultimately led to the veteran’s death. Based on the report, the veteran likely suffered a TBI and stroke from the altercation.

VA refuses to answer further questions about the incident or to answer whether the VA police officer is still working for the agency. I think it is safe to assume the unnamed police officer is still working there.

Now what? When an agency goes totally rogue against its clientele, what should the taxpayers do? Should veterans #BoycottVA?

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37 Comments

  1. Most didn’t even read the whole story top to bottom. The bulge was from a recent hernia surgery. He’s also 66yrs old. He’s sick and it might be the reason for driving wild. The VA cop didn’t want to take the proper time to access the situation. He wanted a story to tell his boys on the next shift. Unfortunately, he just killed frail 66 year old vet. Nothing to be proud about. Galatians 6:7

  2. After you see the person write you incoming phrases, ask to see what they wrote, andn respectfully ask to make those corrections; If not, the go to the patient advocate and write your own summary disputing the incoming report and request it be entered into the record. It will be , get a copy…After there are so many disputes by the same person/official then his/her performance rating will be affected.
    As well, if there is an occurrence later, these records, (of which you have copies), will stand up in court.
    If you are repeatedly disrespected, keep a log which will be evidence. Find a good friend in your area, another
    Vet who is lawyer, cool hand luke but a professional prick to go with you next time.

    1. I’ve done it a few times. In fact, at my second to last yearly check-up, the NP I had said that a medication I was (not) taking (That I have not been prescribed for over FIVE years by the VA or anyone else at the time!) said- “patient states medication working just fine”. Copy and pasted right off a check-up from years back. Redaction pending 2+ years-will be notified in writing- when I ask the Patient Advocate. If I see the NP at the clinic waiting room when she comes out (I have since switched PCP) you want to see a face turn beet red when she see’s me, Unless it’s blatantly a flat out lie like the above, was never discussed, she quit the prescription years back, and copied and pasted out of a 6 year old check-up, how many times do you do it till they make it out that YOUR a problem to them? Another time, Neurology, being checked for MS, headaches, puts “Active ETOH abuse most likely cause”- been sober over 2-1/2 years at the time, redacted everything I asked for, but there it was again- “long history of ETOH” at the start. I have emailed several Drs. to annotate I’ve been sober for however many years at the time of the appt., or filing for a redaction, and all have done so. Thanks for letting me know to do a correction through Pat. Adv. as I’ve just emailed them directly (although my emails to them are usually not saved in the Med. records) they will still throw in a “patient ‘claims’ he’s been sober since XXXX date”. I request a urinalysis every time I have a blood draw I’ve become so frustrated over it. Problem is, how much do they take of me catching their false statements and having them amend them, redact them, correct them, that they just put out I’m being problematic about it? I mean I have several successful redactions, corrections, amendments to an appt. notes, records, etc. I just get tired of doing it because it happens so much…and definitely don’t need them to be vengeful and suggest I be tailed by a VA cop because of it. I have seen a lot of Vets escorted around to appts. by them lately for who knows what….

  3. The VA is the only place where there is three lines that work together, the thin blue VA police line that will protect the thin white Dr./medical staff line and the upper/lower management thin casual ‘business suit’ line. Cross any one of the lines and the other two will work in conjunction to disrupt your life, even if you’re in the right about whatever the problem is you’re having. I have seen how they provoke you in appts. too, calling me clumsy (it’s as though they want you to call them an asshole- so they can call the VA cops to get you out of there office) after walking around with no blood flow to three of my fingers that they ignored right up to the day they rolled me into surgery to have a stent put in because I finally went to the ER, because I kept dropping things in that hand because I didn’t have barely any strength left in that hand. Being five years clean and sober, they also like to put “Patient has a long history of ETOH abuse” in the start of practically every medical entry, without mention of sobriety, and even if they do, they phrase it as “Patient claims he’s been sober for X amount of years”. As someone else mentioned, every time I walk into the VA (after 100 mile round trip), I have the “What are they going to try to minimize today?” attitude. Among all this, I say to myself- stay positive, don’t let them fluster you, don’t talk back too much to correct them, etc. and get in and get out. I mean there are a couple clinics that are actually pretty good, but they are far and few in-between because of all the ones that seem to just want to get you in and out -See you in six months- type treatment. I can’t even understand when they wonder why Vets are so flustered at going to a VAMC….

  4. the va cop he need to be in jail or let the vet take care of him he a bad sead it sad a va cop kill a vet in cold blood and get away with it BUT GOD WILL GET HIM

  5. Do you mean that the offending “Nurse” did not go on his vacation to the Okeefenokee Swamp and fail to return?? Not good; a failure in command, I say. TWENTYFOUR THOUSAND FOR A DEATH??? ARE YOUSE SHITTIN ME??

  6. A female police officer killed a man because he had a bulge in his pants. It was ruled as justifiable homicide because the officer thought it was a gun. It seems crazy the VA has a Nazi police force when it is supposed to be a place for veterans to heal. I can see Kruase”s point that the police are there to create a miserable or deadly experience so vets either don’t use VA or die earlier. I wonder why no one is protesting ending VA police like people who protest Homeland police on enforcing the border of who gets in US. This outragedy against vets needs to be exposed.

    1. WHO ruled it justifiable homicide? Not a court was it? The VA can rule it anything but it does not mean anything in the State Court or the U.S. District Court…………………………….

  7. Afte 15 years in the “so-called v.a. medical system and 7 major v.a. hospitals, I ‘ve seen the v.a. police cause much more harm than good. They are low level incompetent pieces of shit. Pretty much fit right in with v.a. administrators, corrupt, degenerate, illiterate, self serving assholes. We have to fight harder against the veterans administration than we did against the enemy!

  8. Hip c,pinched nerves,pain in my ass.what else is my falt oh yea falling down because my left side goes out of control.being alive may be the one thing that pisses off the top Dick.maybe we should just gather in one place in each state to add our voice to the discussion of liability, raises,responsibility, government. Involvement that tries tocontrol what each state can and can’t do to serve the needs of its people.

  9. WTF is wrong with this place! Before I got bad I never thought human beings could do such things, maybe a weirdo once in a while. This every single place, this how they react, change records and notes staying closed mouth. You had an article a while back where the director sent out an email stating wanted everyone to stay quiet about a suicide, found out 6 months later. These pieces of crap every time call themselves whistle blowers, they are idiots. Someone who cares about people, not their job, the dump sites they work or looking for money to report. If they cared they would immediately call or email someone and not six months later, when someone pissed them off or were fired. This every where and disgusting, they put themselves on pillars because they take care of veterans, the union screams this crap when in distress. If you make waves, they will shut you down, doesn’t matter if move or know someone. It’s they have an alert button that it informs Winkle all the way down that this person gets poked in the rear. What happens when you have no one in charge, 5 minutes ago puking out an entire issue of the New England journal of medicine to which way did he go George. This crap actually makes me sick, I will sink into severe depression after reading and researching if not doing well to start. I know how badly they treated me and it’s unbelievable so wide spread. When younger and still had my marbles, I used to tell them they were crap. I would see older vets sometimes dirty, smell like urine and doctors or nurses I’d here saying all set see next time. I’d get up and tell them to do their job. That is a sign of trouble and supposed to help, they need to clean up, call family, get a social worker and check their home. I thought awful and the worse thing see, I put one person in a wheelchair and brought to the advocate’s office. People would look at me like I robbed a bank, would yell telling them to do their job and call them lazy pos. Good to be young, never thought be doing to me or this evil toxic asshole wanna be swat team idiot taking down a human being that couldn’t defend himself with a bazooka. It’s disgusting, where are the veteran organizations? Washington? Problem is it’s normal to these asswipes, they see so much and become numb. I wish I had something left in the tank to do something, could get 40-50 vets and sit at the front door. These vet organizations should be closed, they crossed that bridge a long time ago when went from helping to collecting checks. Should be national news, problem is they can’t report every night because no longer news. I can’t fix, it takes everything I have to live. That piece of shit cop will be at the Chevy dealer buying a 70k Silverado 3500 Dually with smoke stacks and long forgotten that a murderer. God Bless

  10. About the same thing happened at VAMC Alex. in LA. Instead of just restraining a 71 y.o. veteran a 51 y.o. nurse’s helper caused blunt forced trauma to the veteran who died later. VA initially said it was an accident, but local coroner said man murdered and died of blunt force trauma to the head. Nurses helper was retained by VA working in same job for four years while afge lawyers delayed his day in court, obviously waiting for a nurse to die who saw the whole thing so they could “lemine” her testimony as hearsay. He got one year of probation. Might be working in same job. VA paid family about 24K for the veteran’s death. Scared to go there.

    1. Do you mean that the offending “Nurse” did not go on his vacation to the Okeefenokee Swamp and fail to return?? Not good; a failure in command, I say. TWENTYFOUR THOUSAND FOR A DEATH??? ARE YOUSE SHITTIN ME??

      1. It was 215k, my mistake, nothin wrong with me…wrong with me… with me… VA doctor said so. Still not enough for a life, but shows how much VA wanted to hide things in this matter. Family probably had to sign a non-disclosure or something. The nurse? I think she was sick and they were just waiting… . Y’all have a MC.

  11. A boycott would be nice, but where else can veterans receive healthcare targeted for their specific needs, i.e., mental health. When you throw in PTS and TBI, the VA may not be the best choice, but for many its the only choice. Maybe some yellow jacket protests with our congress reps and senators would draw more public focus on the failing of Trump with the VA system.

    1. Why is it the “failing with Trump” Joe? Have you analyzyed the difference in treatment at the VA since Pres Trump took office? I never observed that any other President changed the procedures which allowed bad VA bureaucrats to be fired. I got rid of a bad VA “doctor” but they slid in under the back door re-employed after being the proximate cause of the deaths of Veterans, (Not under Pres Trump). If I am wrong in my assumptions please advise.

    2. I’m already boycotting the VA because I’m scared to go there. Too easy to get killed and nobody cares. If I do go I take a friend. Tried to get glasses but the glasses I was sent were unusable. I will need cataract surgery, but not there. Heard about people committing suicide when eye doc’s messed up their vision, could very well happen to me at VA. Write congressman/woman is good idea, mine is trying to ignore me because I tack on complaint about congress burying bill to change language to choice 40 which denies most veterans access to choice, it denies all veterans in my neck of the woods. We need to stay cool and organize, but who can do that…? I feel I will be healthier and live longer if I don’t use that “hospital”. VA Mission Act changes nothing. But I trust in God

  12. I’ve said it before,
    If the VHA doesn’t kill ya, the VA civilian police force will!
    #fuckva
    #fuckvha
    #fuckafge
    #fuckyouvapolice

  13. VA employees your days are numbered. When we start fighting back it’s over for you fuckheads.

    1. Good luck with that. And good luck with acting like an asshole at your local clinic – see how far you get with that.
      Also, what exactly are you waiting for before you “start fighting back?”

      1. A great photographer who can memorialize (secretly) one of these “confrontations” and plaster it on the evening news, that’s what we are waiting for. Writing your congressman is ”pissing up a rope”, not because the congress persons do not do their best to help you but it is part of the designed government process to lessen the weight of your frustrated claim. A good court order and lawsuit and disciplinary act based upon UNCONTROVERTED EVIDENCE.
        Those bureaucrats who act wrongly to cover the acts of those Va employees who have abused their offices also need to be summarily fired, when the evidence is not controverted with substantial validity.

      2. You cause waves? Those people know more about the VA than everyone here combined. They know exactly what they can get away with and do whatever they wish. Next thing you know taking off pain medication, a letter from the regional office for a compensation exam or say you make too much money and must now have co pays and haven’t worked in 12yrs. Fight back? They will fry your ass so quick you new name would be Lard. They really need to be state run, too big with too much power. This is showing power, they say no comment go away. There’s no story when no one talks, will put in a tort claim, will get a check, no one cares because it’s free money and they don’t care about someone dying. It’s worse than sad, people screaming to let illegals in and not a whisper about this.

      3. Guys threatening the VA as if one of a Million Fkn Problems they have will just go away because we say it will smfh. The VA is Rotten from the Top Down and will never make any Significant changes. The guy probably should have been driving in the first place in that state im sure his son said dad let me drive but, being schizo he remember to stop at the flashing Blues huh? Cop should have called a nurse or physician to the Car and let that person talk him out of the car and into the facility. So many wrongs with this story may have saved his son’s or someone else’s life on the Road also, if that guy was that far out of it.

  14. Wow. What a strange place to be driving on the wrong side of the road, probably in the VA parking lot. I do that half the time when I’m in most parking lots because of confusion. Yep. I’m sure the pig figured he was doing it on purpose to be and asshole, so I guess I’ll beat him to death to teach him a lesson. Oh yeah, you can pretty much guess he’s still working a parking lot somewhere else with a raise and bonus. He will be exposed eventually. He has to leave the protection of that parking lot at some time. Just sayin.

    1. He likely now has a gold plated parking spot now with a personal patient advocate to come-out and give him a ride on her back to clock-in, then patient advocate goes in for the season.

  15. Barney Cops at the VA get a “bulge” anytime they see a Veteran having trouble with a door, thinking we might be violent.
    A fresh 8th day of xmas ‘FUCK OFF” VA and your killer fucking employees @ gov’t welfare works program called the AFGE.
    AFGE President David ‘little’ COCK………..get yopur head out of your ass and smell the roses…they are of Veteran’s funerals at hands of your assholes…get a handle because your days are numbered in killing Vets you fat fuck!

    1. There is a pernicious attitude among VA officials who really feel that they have great lattitude in handling Veterans whom they observe “acting out” an age old duplicitous word combo which entitles VA bureaucrats
      and their Cops the option to handle veterans in any way they decide, AND GET AWAY WITH IT……
      For the record I will again report two incidents which happened to me at the Washington, D.C. VAMC some years ago.
      I went to the records office to secure a copy of my x-ray of my left arm which had had surgery to repair a compound fracture, which occurred and after which I drove myself to the VA. (X-rays are immediately available unlike other records which require a 10 day period for the AV to get your records together).
      During the whole process, I never raised my voice, going up through the various stages of VA offices, was polite in every respect, although at every turn I was mistakenly advised that I had to wait 10 days.
      I finally ended up at the Director’s Office where I politely told them that I needed the X-rays for another medical appointment that afternoon.
      Well, the Officials asked me to wait outside of the Director’s Office while they tried to accommodate my request.
      As I was leaning up against the wall outside of the Director’s Office, 5 minutes later, FIVE VA COPS approached me from down the hall. I asked them: “Are you boys coming for me?”
      They replied: “Yes we are, Sir”
      I responded: “Good!, cuz I could use the money!” One of the cops, very tall guy from New Jersey, with whom I had on an earlier time “shot the shit with” spoke up and said: “Wait a minute, guys; I know that guy, he is a lawyer and a former Marine Captain, and he usually knows what he is talking about & I AM NOT PUTTING MY HANDS ON HIM!”
      So one of the cops gets on the radio and two minutes later they all disappear. Three minutes later the Director’s rep comes out of the office and tells me I could go to such and such an office and pick up my X-rays. I said: “thank you very much”
      My point is that had not the wiser VA cop intervened I could have been roughed up by this “passel” of cops, and indeed been seriously injured and required further surgery, or worse.
      VA officials need to understand that the Veterans that come to a VAMC facility are not there to participate in a square dance and that those vets need to be handled in a more respectful and professional manner.
      You shouldn'[t need to be a wily lawyer with the attitude of a Marine Officer that you were not going to be mistreated by an agency which is supposed to be administering care to you.

      A second incident occurred on another day when I noticed a very old black veteran in a wrinkled suit in a wheel chair sitting in the outpatient waiting are of the outpatient pharmacy area, who had soiled himself.
      I asked the Gentleman how long he had been waiting for his prescription and he told me: FIVE HOURS.
      I immediately went to the Director’s offices and demanded that they get their asses down to the outpatient pharmacy and take care of that veteran.
      However their first response was: “Do not raise your voice at me!”
      My response was: ” I did not raise my voice at you, that was just my command voice, but if you hesitate one more minute in taking care of this Veteran, you will certainly get my raised voice……………
      These people were hired to administer MEDICAL CARE TO US VETERANS, not to assume some false indignity, when a Veteran questions the level of care he is receiving.
      I support 150% good cops, but bad cops need to be taken out back of the barn, whipped and then sued in several courts & jurisdictions. (A bully is a bully is a bully…….right??)
      Yes, sometime veterans can be difficult to deal with , but if you can’t take the heat PROFESSIONALLY, get the hell out of the kitchen……..
      THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS VETERAN .. HE IS DEAD, ….GOT IT?!
      Yes, officials need to be protected from false allegations, BUT, when VA officials commit crimes they need to be given a drop kick to their asses out the door.

      1. 1st of all, I doubt your stories are accurate, in that, they sound somewhat embellished. 2nd, nobody, to include this author or yourself know what really happened. So, as a lawyer, and Marine Captain both of you should request FOIA and look at the facts before spouting off.

  16. The family should file a wrongful death suit to included injury to an elderly person, and also file a civil lawsuit against the dirty VA cop who managed to severely beat this Veteran unconsciously, this is totally wrong of the way the VA is handling, the reason the VA quit ansewering questions is that their trying to hide the truth, what did the son say or not do in this instance, he probably got hush money or decided not to help in his father’s murder, the VA cop could have called for backup, he still responsible for this man’s death

    1. I was in law enforcement and that officer may not have the authority to enforce traffic laws. I doubt know the laws or regulations governing the VA police but it sounds as though he went beyond the scope of his job.

  17. And a struggle ensued. Why? Maybe the VA should train officers better, or give Veterans courses instructing them on how to deal with the VA police, because a veteran basically has no rights on VA property, and pertty much anywhere else either, when incountered by VA police.
    A large bulge and threatening hand movement, come on, sounds too me like a day at the office, a VA office.

    1. I agree about training, having been involved in Infantry and Martial Arts training for many years, as one must train relentlessly to reach any degree of proficiency worthy of respect. However, my interactions with VA Police have been nothing but cordial. I have had services at a dozen locations. At no time did I witness a VA Police having a problem with a Veteran, or anyone else. One must give credit where credit is due. I would want to know the Officer’s size against an elderly man, and his true level of knowledge required to be Officer in the VA PD. If a cop can’t subdue a disabled Veteran without killing him: What is his true level of proficiency?

      1. Respectfully infantry and martial arts training does not qualify you to make judgements on law enforcement tactics.
        Officer/subject size and skill level certainly do play a small part. Let us not forget that this man was a Veteran and had to receive some combat and weapons training himself.
        We weren’t there. But it sounds like the Officer had a legitimate reason to stop the man, and a legitimate reason to control the subject based on his behaviors and the suspension that he was armed (the bulge). The unfortunate part was that the man hit his head being taken down due to his actions. I am a 20 year Leo and MC Veteran.
        This is an unfortunate incident and I pray for the Vet, his family, AND the Officer.
        Based on my research, the VA police are well trained and mostly Vets. Thanks you for your service.

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