Former soldier killed in shootout with Portland police
Editor's note: A previous version of this story erroneously stated that Cisneros had at one time been based at Joint-Base Lewis McChord.
PORTLAND, Ore. – A man who was killed in a gun battle with Portland, Ore., police officers Monday night has been identified as an Army Combat veteran who had spoken out about the challenges of post traumatic stress disorder.
Two police officers in northeast Portland said they came upon 32-year-old Santiago Cisneros, who was armed with a shotgun, on the top of a Portland parking garage. Santiago approached the offices and fired, police said. The officers returned fire, striking Cisneros and knocking him to the ground.
Even though he was hit and down, the officers said Cisneros was still moving near his shotgun. More officers arrived and used a shield to approach the suspect and place him in custody.
Medics took Cisneros to a nearby hospital, where he later died. No officers were hurt.
Four years ago, Cisneros was one of three soldiers who spoke to KOMO News about the struggles they endured with post traumatic stress disorder.
Cisneros said back then he tried to kill himself just eight months after leaving Iraq.
"I fought a war back there in Iraq. I didn't know I was going to have to fight a war back here in the United States within myself," Cisneros said in the March 2009 interview.
He said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and later sought treatment through the Veteran's Administration and the National Center for PTSD in northern California.
PORTLAND, Ore. – A man who was killed in a gun battle with Portland, Ore., police officers Monday night has been identified as an Army Combat veteran who had spoken out about the challenges of post traumatic stress disorder.
Two police officers in northeast Portland said they came upon 32-year-old Santiago Cisneros, who was armed with a shotgun, on the top of a Portland parking garage. Santiago approached the offices and fired, police said. The officers returned fire, striking Cisneros and knocking him to the ground.
Even though he was hit and down, the officers said Cisneros was still moving near his shotgun. More officers arrived and used a shield to approach the suspect and place him in custody.
Medics took Cisneros to a nearby hospital, where he later died. No officers were hurt.
Four years ago, Cisneros was one of three soldiers who spoke to KOMO News about the struggles they endured with post traumatic stress disorder.
Cisneros said back then he tried to kill himself just eight months after leaving Iraq.
"I fought a war back there in Iraq. I didn't know I was going to have to fight a war back here in the United States within myself," Cisneros said in the March 2009 interview.
He said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and later sought treatment through the Veteran's Administration and the National Center for PTSD in northern California.
4 years of kill, kill, kill and then a hand slap, go home you can't do that any more. Can get a good job at the Post Office tho....brings a whole new meaning to going postal.
Sounds like from the initial article, he was having thoughts of, and issues with harming others at the end of his military career. Attempted to get help to no avail. Then went AWOL and "fell through the cracks". This is how he turned up. No better than the day he left the brutality, poor man. The normal human psyche is not designed to deal with killing to kill (unless you've got damaged DNA i.e. a sociopath/psychopath.) We are designed to kill for food.Â
Brains are designed to learn with each new experience, there is a chemical pathway established and then reenforced each time that pathway is used thereafter. Eventually it becomes rote. Like tying a shoe - at first you have to work at it, step by step. After many uses of that pathway, your brain skips the step-by-step and takes a shortcut & becomes rote (no thinking about the task). This establishes new, immediate, strong neural pathways to specific stimuli.Â
These can not be undone with anything short of some sort of memory damaging events or disease. Hence the reason these people can not "get over" their PTSD (for lack of a better word). When will we ever learn that making these people into killing machines will destroy them in the long run?
and i thought that soldiers were killing machines. I guesss someone pulled the plug
Suicide by cop? Â Sad story.
He sought treatment but did he get the help? Obviously not otherwise he'd most likely still be alive.
Doing multiple tours overseas is damaging to our troops. ALL our troops should be home. This war has gone on long enough.Â
Rather sad when they made the armed services voluntary as it took away the "Hell no we won't go" card when it came to fighting unjust wars...
I wonder how many tours he did. Poor guy, more and more of them doing 6 tours and never really coming back.
DC are you doing your homework.. this is the result of your stupid wars!
@Freespeech Yeah they've done their homework, war pays big bucks and in the land of capitalism thats the bottom line.
Tragic, my condolences to his family. It almost sounds like suicide by cop.Â
@Susabelle Take a look at the numbers of soldiers returning home ending up the same way..... disgusting. Ugh!
@Funky-Munky More soldiers are dieing from suicide than are in battle. Absolutely disgusting but no one seems to care in our government. Just keep these illegal wars going so we can keep our economy propped up.
We will never learn from our past mistakes.
@Blindman Not exactly true........... "We the people" have it's our abusive, overweight and out of control government that hasn't!
@Funky-Munky @Blindman I don't agree. I don't think anyone has changed much in their thinking about mental illness. Its still taboo. Its still taboo to go on anti depressants. Its still taboo to go to a therapist, especially in the military.Â
@Too funny!True, but my wife (retired Army) receives medical coverage until her 65th birthday when everyone is required to go on Medicare. Â At that time, the military coverage reverts to the secondary insurance. Â While it is not completely free, the cost is so minuscule it might as well be free.
Military get free medical care for life? Not true, that's a myth. Recruiters would say that to get people to enlist! Congress has never passed a law authorizing free lifetime health care for veterans.
@quidproquo @Funky-Munky @Blindman If you ask for help in the military your career is over. At least with the military you get free medical care for life, such as it is. The rest of us have to do without any medical help.