Then recently he had another person move into his house to share the rent. Whoever this individual was, Dave again called the cops to evict the man. The cops wouldn't Baker Act* him. Dave got so frustrated he hit a cop with his cane. They arrested him and a friend bailed him out. He retained an attorney. Apparently he now owed $700,000 in legal fees. He lived on Social Security Disability, so he didn't have much money. His elderly mother had dementia. He was trying to care for her like a nurse. His father, too, was elderly. These are things he told people before he died.
Dave suffered severe depression. He had a nice neighbor, a woman he would talk to for long periods of time. But even she couldn't help him. I believe the photo of him here was a mug shot. In his eyes you can see fear, paranoia and panic. The walls were closing in.
One afternoon he went into K-Mart and was detained for shoplifting soda and rechargeable batteries. They brought him back to a security office. He explained his problems. Then he pulled out a .22 caliber gun and shot in the direction of the doors where the guards were standing. They ran. They heard another blast. He killed himself. Actually, he was taken to a nearby hospital and died there.
He was always out to help someone. But his health was never good. He had a colonectomy at the age of 16, was gay and feared intimacy, was a recovering alcoholic and was often in a wheelchair for back injuries and pain. Another thing I remember about him: he looked like Jesus Christ!
He helped everyone he could,
Yet life was harsh for him.
Rest in Peace
*In Florida a Cop decides if you're drunk or disorderly. If the former they arrest you; if disorderly, you might wind up in a psychiatric ward. It's a law called "The Baker Act" and is often referred to humorously.
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