Police Shoot Man in Wheelchair, Suicide by Police Act

For years Shayne Sime aged 42 after a severe head and spinal injury, struggled in life as a paralysis gradually crept through his body, rendering him wheel chair bound. An injury in the medical world in New Zealand called the silent injury.

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Living alone in his own silent world, the monumental effort to just achieve simple tasks the able bodied complete with ease, the frustrations, the agony asking for help, the sadness in feeling the incomplete man.

Shayne Sime joined a gun club that family felt was a place to meet other “blokes” be accepted as a contributing member, respected in spite of his crippling state, and have a social life with a positive future. After all he could drive a car using hand controls.

Shock waves swept through New Zealand as the news broke that police had shot a paraplegic and the McLean’s Island Club members (Gun Club) reeled at the news it was Shayne Simes who had broken or snapped firing his guns into a quiet neighborhood with bullets that could potentially travel 7KM a stash of a hundred rounds.

Shayne with some mobility wheeled himself around his home indiscrimtaly firing into the night.

Police arrived and the tragic end there was no other choice for the police but to shoot Shayne dead. A Suicide by the police act with deliberate thought by Shayne.

One reflects on Shayne ‘s life and one ponders had the social support allowing him to live a life of quality with ease, greater financial aid, living for Shayne took courage, strength, fantastic hope and desire, yet beaten down by social constraints to a world of fear, loneliness and despair.

His mother always supportive but parents become older and less able to support their children. Shayne’s mother nursed him over the years sacrificing the pursuit of happiness in her own life.

Those that are disabled, or special needs should have the right to live independently as Shayne did, to be free to make choices but sadly and with tragic consequences Shayne did not let his country down, his country let him down.

For the New Zealand Police a body of men and woman working the front line for the betterment of the community in such circumstances Suicide by Police one has to feel sadness for them as well in such dire circumstances.

As we as New Zealanders live on, Shayne Sime‘s actions will to, but let this remind all New Zealanders there are our countrymen, citizens of New Zealand who are disabled, special needs, homeless and instead of frivolously wasting energy, money, from Government to Local Bodies is it not time to really care for these souls, giving a structure of social support to ease the burden that weighs on their shoulders that cripple the body and mind.