West Wendover Police Chief Burdel Welsh strongly rejected allegations that his department was not providing police protection to the home of detective Donald Burnum who took his own life July 3rd.
“I have heard it too,” Welsh said to the Advocate Tuesday. “I can’t really talk about any specifics because there is still the possibility of a lawsuit, but for any one to suggest that this department would not patrol or protect the home or property of anyone in West Wendover is ridiculous.”
The family of deceased Police Detective Donald Burnum is considering suing the City of West Wendover for the wrongful death of the veteran cop of 23 years.
“Our family is aware that calls were made within days before Donald’s death to WWPD. The chief as well as the city manager have been contacted about the situation and asked what steps were taken after the calls were made. The city has refused to speak with us any further on the matter,” wrote Burnum’s sister Lyssa Thompson in a prepared statement to the Advocate. “As a member of the community I feel that after such notification, there is a duty to protect the officer involved, the police department, and the community, seeing as an officer carries a firearm and has been reported unstable. We would like to see a protocol put in place, so that if faced with the situation, action would be taken to get the officer help, to take steps to assure safety and to possibly save a life.”
However Burnum’s brother Kurt contradicted his sister and said the family would not bring legal action against West Wendover.
“We just don’t have a case,” he said Monday. An attorney Kurt Burnum had contacted shortly after his brother died confirmed that her firm refused to take the case.
Kurt Burnum also said that his brother was diagnosed with clinical depression and that his medication had been recently changed by his mental health care giver. Lyssa Thompson also confirmed that Donald Burnum was on medication for depression.
Both siblings agree that their brother’s medication had been recently changed within in a month of his suicide and both insist they have been stonewalled by the city administration.
“Other than being notified of his death, nobody from the PD has contacted the family unless returning the calls about this situation,” Lyssa Thompson added in another email.
According to mental health experts contacted by the High Desert Advocate, it is not all that rare that police, military or others in high stressed jobs to complain to their cohorts but not to their superiors.
“We do have a duty to detain someone whether a police officer or not, if we believe that he or she poses a threat to himself or to others,” said West Wendover Police Lt. Donald Lininger. “But that bar is very high. This was a tragic situation I don’t know what could have been done to prevent it.”
According to the mental health professionals contacted by the Advocate, suicide is incredibly hard to prevent for a person determined to take his or her own life, even if successful in the short term, there is no guarantee that the attempts will not stop. Where Burnum’s family may have a case is not against the city or the police department but rather against the mental health provider who changed Burnum’s medication.
DEDICATION
The book, “The Mighty Companion” is dedicated exclusively to my one and only big brother, Donald Burnum. A man who after serving 23 years with The West Wendover Nevada Police Force committed suicide in the early morning hours of July 2nd, 2015.
My thoughts and prayers along with all of his family will be there for him in all of his endeavors regardless. Forever, and in all ways.
As for the many people whose lives that have been touched by him along the way, he will always be remembered by us for that.
That means that this book, “The Mighty Companion” is dedicated by me solely as a memorial to him. Maybe now he will rest with the knowledge of being ever so loved? Even up until this very day. We will carry his memories with us forever, and he will always be missed and never forgotten by us. His friends and family of whom he so hastily has left behind.
And, for whatever reason he deemed necessary to take his own life, one that was so dear and precious to all of us, and to so many others regardless of what their needs may’ve been at that time. I hope that all of this has the same meaning to us as it does to all of them, and that whatever pain he may’ve been in is now over with.
But, I will miss you until the day I see you again Big Brother. But, un-til that day comes, please carry on in good faith and in good hope for the future. Whatever, and however you see fit for it to be. What-ever it is that God still holds in store for all of us we will be well. But until then, in good faith and in good time until the day that I can see you again! “May the Blessings Be?”