Mary Ann Ellis
Dying for peace
On Sunday morning, February 19, 2012, James Dixon III, was shot down in his own front yard by a Georgia State Patrol SWAT team called in to assist our sheriff’s department. He died here at home at the hands of his own countrymen. He should have been safe here as he worked with the VA doctors to overcome the terrors of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. But something went intolerably wrong on that black Sunday.
James arrived in a solid family when he was born to Sue and Jimmy Dixon on May 17, 1981. The Dixons raised their children to believe in God, country and family. James’ parents gave him the best they had to offer, including a strong work ethic and the will to succeed at whatever he attempted. 
An old African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child. James was very much a product of this southern county, too. He blazed his way through the Appling County School System, and I’m proud to have taught him. I knew him before he sat in my classroom though. He and my son Josh were friends long before high school. When he did arrive in my class, he came laughing. However, he knew when to be serious, too. He graduated number three in his class, but his excellence didn’t stop with academics. He played in the Pirate Brigade Marching Band. When he donned the pads of the Pirate football team, he joined the band at halftime. He held a part-time job. He was a paragon of adolescence, the teen every parent dreams of rearing.
Then the Class of 1999 marched across Jimmy Swain Stadium and scattered like seeds in the wind. I heard from James occasionally. James was thriving at Georgia Southern and earned a Masters Degree in Business Education. Josh brought me the news that James had joined the marines, but even as my heart dropped, pride arose.
James served 3 tours of duty in Iraq before he came back home with an array of awards: a Purple Heart in addition to the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Meritorious Mast, Navy Unit Commendation, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Certificate of Commendation, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. James Dixon III exemplifies the word hero.
When he came home for the final time after being injured, he brought Iraq with him. His mind was unable to leave it behind. He suffered flashbacks.
“Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome,” the VA doctors said, as they attempted to fix it. But things set James off, things like the sound of gunfire, for example, which may have triggered that Saturday night/Sunday morning fiasco.
Someone in the neighborhood had fired hundreds of shots on Saturday. The huge number of officers outside his house probably didn’t help either.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the SWAT team provides a highly trained and skilled tactical team as a resource for all law enforcement agencies in Georgia. This expertise is used in the resolution of critical incidents in an effort to reduce the risk of injury or loss of life to citizens, police officers, and suspects. The plan failed James miserably. Yes, he had a gun, but surely those experts could have shot to disable, not to kill. With the current technology, they must have had many non-lethal means at their disposal. Since he refused to put down his gun, the SWAT team had the legal power to kill, not the moral right. There’s a monumental difference.
James was no criminal; he was a hero.
I’m going to miss James’ smile around town, the hug he gave me whenever I ran into him. I’ll always remember him fondly, but my heart will break when I think of his death. James came home for peace and recuperation, but he had to die to find them. How many more wounded warriors will have to die before we demand change? James is at peace now, but I hope that peace eludes the rest of us until we force change to occur in law enforcement. Training exists for such crises. It is essential that every single officer in this county be trained immediately. We have an enormous duty to our walking wounded. After all, they were wounded in service to us. May there never be another situation like James’ here.
James Dixon III
An old African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child. James was very much a product of this southern county, too. He blazed his way through the Appling County School System, and I’m proud to have taught him. I knew him before he sat in my classroom though. He and my son Josh were friends long before high school. When he did arrive in my class, he came laughing. However, he knew when to be serious, too. He graduated number three in his class, but his excellence didn’t stop with academics. He played in the Pirate Brigade Marching Band. When he donned the pads of the Pirate football team, he joined the band at halftime. He held a part-time job. He was a paragon of adolescence, the teen every parent dreams of rearing.
Then the Class of 1999 marched across Jimmy Swain Stadium and scattered like seeds in the wind. I heard from James occasionally. James was thriving at Georgia Southern and earned a Masters Degree in Business Education. Josh brought me the news that James had joined the marines, but even as my heart dropped, pride arose.
James served 3 tours of duty in Iraq before he came back home with an array of awards: a Purple Heart in addition to the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Meritorious Mast, Navy Unit Commendation, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Certificate of Commendation, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. James Dixon III exemplifies the word hero.
When he came home for the final time after being injured, he brought Iraq with him. His mind was unable to leave it behind. He suffered flashbacks.
“Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome,” the VA doctors said, as they attempted to fix it. But things set James off, things like the sound of gunfire, for example, which may have triggered that Saturday night/Sunday morning fiasco.
Someone in the neighborhood had fired hundreds of shots on Saturday. The huge number of officers outside his house probably didn’t help either.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the SWAT team provides a highly trained and skilled tactical team as a resource for all law enforcement agencies in Georgia. This expertise is used in the resolution of critical incidents in an effort to reduce the risk of injury or loss of life to citizens, police officers, and suspects. The plan failed James miserably. Yes, he had a gun, but surely those experts could have shot to disable, not to kill. With the current technology, they must have had many non-lethal means at their disposal. Since he refused to put down his gun, the SWAT team had the legal power to kill, not the moral right. There’s a monumental difference.
James was no criminal; he was a hero.
I’m going to miss James’ smile around town, the hug he gave me whenever I ran into him. I’ll always remember him fondly, but my heart will break when I think of his death. James came home for peace and recuperation, but he had to die to find them. How many more wounded warriors will have to die before we demand change? James is at peace now, but I hope that peace eludes the rest of us until we force change to occur in law enforcement. Training exists for such crises. It is essential that every single officer in this county be trained immediately. We have an enormous duty to our walking wounded. After all, they were wounded in service to us. May there never be another situation like James’ here.
It is clear you have no experience with PTSD. It clearly states in the article he was receiving services. PTSD is not something that a one time appointment or a medication can cure. Unfortunately, it is something that society is going to have to learn and be aware of; since it is something that most all Veteran's are suffering from.
James was never a threat to anyone. James never raised his gun, the only guns raised were Law Enforcement's. The young man you speak of doing his job did not need to use deathly force. Apparently you know someone on the Law Enforcement side of this.
This is not the first situation where Law Enforcement has used deathly force on a Veteran, training for Law Enforcement is needed and critical. If Law Enforcement had the appropriate training to deescalate the situations, the innocent Veteran's would still be here with us today.
Maybe you of all people can get through to our Government to STOP cutting the benefits of our service men and women.
My prayers go out to the family of this hero that fought for me and United States.
Thank you so much! James would love this. He thought the world of you.
Prayers for James' family and friends during these tough times. Remember we love you but God loves you best.
Seems that our law enforcement has a different set of standards than our military or anyone else in the developed world. What do you think would happen if our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan shot everyone holding a weapon and not pointed at anyone.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The term use of force describes a right of an individual or authority to settle conflicts or prevent certain actions by applying measures to either: a) dissuade another party from a particular course of action, or b) physically intervene to stop them. In nations of the developed world and the developing world, governments allow police, citizen, corrections, or other security personnel to employ force to actively prevent imminent commission of crime, or even for deterrence. It may also be exercised by the executive branch (i.e., through the president, prime minister, premier, governor or mayor) of a political jurisdiction, deploying the police or military to maintain public order. The use of force is governed by statute and is usually authorized in a progressive series of actions, referred to as a "use of force continuum.[1]
When a conflict is between parties having the same standing, observers often recommend the use of negotiation or other "conflict resolution" techniques. When a conflict is between a lawbreaker and a law enforcer, use of force comes into play when the lawbreaker refuses to desist, or attempts to flee from a serious offense. The continuum of force progresses from verbal orders, through physical restraint, up to lethal force. The general rule for application of force is that only necessary force may be used. When force is applied by an individual (for example, to protect life, or property), the amount of force permissible is, likewise, only that which is reasonable and necessary under the circumstances.[2]
When a level of force beyond verbal commands is used, the individual or authority authorizing the force is accountable for the degree of force applied. In the case of lethal force, other levels of force must have been attempted first unless lethal force is the only way to minimize loss of life. When the use of military force is employed by the state towards another political entity for defensive purposes, international law requires that the principle of proportionality be applied.[3]