Idaho Veteran Commits Suicide at Post Falls Church
by Shari Dovale
Calls went out just after the 9:30 church service began at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. The church and surrounding buildings were on lock-down for an active shooter event in progress. Emergency Services received notice of a suicidal man at the church.
The children were kept secure and distracted while the adults stayed aware of police. Real Life Ministries has their own security team that quickly evacuated the members to safe spaces designated within the building.
Post Falls Police attempted negotiations with the Veteran, and the parishioners report high praise of the officers. After several hours of negotiations, gunshots were heard.
The Post Falls police report that a veteran named Dale L. Belieu, 59, of Craigmont, Idaho, shot himself in the chest. He was transported to Kootenai Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
Roughly 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide, according to new data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, released in July 2016.
In 2014, the latest year available previously, there were more than 7,400 veterans that took their own lives, accounting for 18 percent of all suicides in America. Veterans make up less than 9 percent of the U.S. population.
Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide for all groups, and it is often undiagnosed or untreated.
Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change.
If you are concerned for someone that might be suicidal, there are many resources available to you. Or you can contact: Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE or Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK
A very sad day when any of our prior service people do this, it hurts me to hear how many have done this, mainly because of how our government treats them! At least he did not harm anyone else, unlike the female employee of the CDA press who just committed a double murder of her two children and then herself at Fernan Lake!
This was my mom’s boyfriend. So very sad that he slipped through the cracks of the system.
This last week he was in a lot of pain. Physically and mentally.
Did he live in Craigmont long, pesticides in that region are coming under great review next year!