Vet's death highlights PTSD problem

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - As police investigate the officer involved shooting of an Iraq War veteran, the Veterans Affairs hospital is looking into what if anything it should have done differently to help the man.

Kenneth Ellis III, 24, was shot to death Wednesday near the 7-Eleven on Eubank and Constitution.

Albuquerque police said Ellis was waving a gun. When he refused to put it down, an officer shot and killed him.

Ellis' mother Annelle Wharton said her son suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, resulting from a tour of duty in Iraq where he witnessed the death of his best friend.

Officials from the VA Hospital in Albuquerque confirmed that Ellis was once a part of a PTSD program there but stopped coming.

Vietnam Veteran Pete Comstock says that's not unusual.
"When they get out they try to successfully transition they try to find people to trust. It's impossible. They don't trust you, they don't trust the establishment, they sure don't trust the VA," Comstock said.

Comstock is part of the organization Purple Heart of New Mexico. One of the programs they offer is a mentoring program for veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Comstock said a good number of the vets show signs of PTSD.

Comstock said the program is successful, but more needs to be done to help veterans like Ellis.

"They've seen more combat hours than we did in Vietnam, Korean War, World War II all together, you think we had problems," he said.

Comstock said he believes the current system to treat PTSD is inadequate. He said if things don't change, we will see suicides and instances of suicide by cop involving veterans.

More information on the program at Purple Heart of New Mexico is available with on their Web site.

Veterans don't need to have a purple heart to participate.