Shawn Ryan Show #003 Don Bradley A.K.A.Headshot Don

[Music]. he showed a hell of a lot of restraint. again you totally could have [ __ ]. killed. everybody involved in that that was not. an american and and you didn't. and you did save it from being an. international incident.

and then the next day we went and paid. him a visit with. some very interesting. afghan intelligence people the car was. on fire. flames were coming through the windows. what was the conversation like in the. car. so the first thought was okay how are we. going to get out of here so i. clicked the button and said we're hit. we're on fire. you need to get the [ __ ] out now how. many operators are on the ground. me and my partner who had unasked the. vehicle unexpectedly. was looking everywhere for my rifle.

which i could not find. you didn't have your rifle but this so. this dude's head. she looked into his eyes again for a. second time he just you know yep. i needed backup i called you we were. cleared hot. just to go in there and smoke his ass. and let you out of there i mean he was. he was pissed i mean i kicked the [ __ ]. out of him right in front of all his. [ __ ] buddies. before he showed up his whole face. just sitting on the ground got a.

gory but great picture of the the dude's. last. moment on earth he said yes ma'am but um. he's not here he's at the hospital and i. screamed he's at the hospital he said. yes ma'am he's been shot in the head. i already know the answer this but you. need to say it. are you innocent [ __ ] yeah i'm innocent.

[Music]. welcome back to the sean ryan show. our last episode once again. we absolutely crushed the ratings across. the boards. we're on the top charts on itunes. thank you everyone for all the support. and leaving the reviews on. itunes if you haven't done it yet please. head over there to itunes.

leave us a review even if it's just. one word that's all we're asking. if you're watching this on youtube smash. that like button. leave us a comment stay tuned. after this episode we're gonna have a. debrief covering the whole experience. and with that being said. let's move on to episode. zero zero three i brought you guys a. former green beret.

he's got over 20 combat deployments. with the cia he's also known. as headshot don guys. don has a really bad traumatic brain. injury. there's no [ __ ] time for fluffing. this one we dive right the [ __ ] in. everyone this is better than. entertainment this. is the real [ __ ] thing please welcome. to the show. my very good friend mr don bradley.

don welcome to the sean ryan show. thanks sean thanks for having me back my. pleasure. your story is way out of my wheelhouse. usually i go in kind of a timeline where.

we start at childhood. move on to military career move on to. cia. or anything after that hit transition. and kind of what you're doing now but. your story. is completely different and. you get shot in the head you have a very. severe. tbi traumatic brain injury. we tried this yesterday you only have so. much brain power a day before. things start slipping unfortunately so. we're just going to cut right to the.

chase we're going to want to touch a. little bit on. you know very briefly on your military. background. and your well-respected career within. the cia. and then i want to move to stateside. okay so let's start off. you have four call signs or your name. plus three call signs right you started. off at the. cia with the call sign vincent.

where did that come from so vincent. back way back when they first started. making motorcycles for racing. the baddest motorcycle ever made at that. time. was made by a company called vincent in. your gear head. i've been riding since i was four years. old i got on my first mini bike. damn that's a long time but um. so you got vincent that didn't stick. very long.

let's talk about how you got the call. sign lucky okay. yeah i was only vincent for a hot minute. and then one day down to kandahar we. were doing a move. because we weren't on calf which is. kanahara airfield where. the military are we had to move some. people to the airfield and. on the way my vehicle got rammed. by a suicide bomber driving a car loaded. with explosives which. we know in our terminology as v-bed or.

vehicle-borne improvised explosive. device i remember when that happened. i just showed up to kandahar we were. actually just looking at one of my. platoon plaques my first combat. deployment was still team two. we show up one of the first things that. we get is a brief on what had happened. i believe at the time was yesterday and. they show us this nice. suv which was nice and then they showed.

us. what it looked like now after. you got hit with a car bomb we didn't. know each other at the time but i think. the only way to describe that vehicle. and if you're watching this on youtube. it's on the screen right now. it looks like an [ __ ] that had just. been. turned inside out and thrown on the side. of the road. and you and everybody in that car. survived that yeah we got out alive.

why don't you walk us through a little. bit about. what's it like to go flying through the. air in a. armored suv in one of the most dangerous. provinces in afghanistan it was. interesting to say the least. we did have our escorts with us which. are the locals that we. basically hire and train up and turn. them into professionals. and coincidentally i had had them out on.

the range doing what any good sf guy. would do which is train. them up make sure they're proficient we. were doing movement to contact drills. in vehicles so here we are driving down. the road now. and this dude rams into the side of the. vehicle blows us up. we roll over we land first on my side. then we went to the roof which had a. sunroof. i don't know why because you couldn't. reach it there was. armor on the roof as well but that made.

the most. horrible sound that i'll never forget as. the glass shattered and. drug along the metal of the roof as we. were sliding on the roof. then of course we ended up on the. passenger side. perched on the passenger side facing 180. degrees from our original direction of. travel. i i can't like get over that you. actually survived that because i still. i mean when i got into country it was. right after red wing had happened. yeah got some briefings up north there.

then we moved down to. kandahar to the agency base i saw that. car. thinking holy [ __ ] like this is shit's. getting real [ __ ] real. real fast and i just. i can't believe anybody walked out of. that car. were you out of it for any amount of. time. after that it happened i mean did you. have. reconscious so when the car got hit this.

was. actually a very new i won't say the. brand because they. you know the agency doesn't like that. but it was an suv. very very new low miles and when we got. hit it was. very well armored so the pressure. literally forced everything tight into. a box and we fell next to nothing. however when you slam onto one side. roll onto the roof spin around and end. up on the other side.

which by the way during that the window. did what it was designed to do which is. fall out onto the ground now we got. flames coming in there with us. as well but until up until that moment. we were sealed you know we were very. very well protected. inside so the real damage came from. the things that we had inside like. weapons uh. personal belonging equipment in the car. during that rollover that [ __ ] was.

flying around in there. so people got hit by the debris. that was stowed nicely and secured. for what we thought was fine at the time. we made some changes after that. but the only real injuries was the. people that got hit by things. flying around in the car so it was. nothing serious. at all yeah just uh some bumps bruises. some stitches. i think there was maybe one cracked rib. um i honestly had. not a scratch on me which is why they're.

like. put out a worldwide communication saying. this person of course was me just not my. actual name. was from that moment on call sign lucky. wow that's and that stuck with you for a. very long time. until i got you out in the head. sometimes people see these cars coming. a car bomb motorcycle bomb. whatever did you.

sometimes i know it's about to happen. sometimes i don't. i guess you know maybe that probably has. something to do with how heads-up you. are on the road. did you know what was about to happen or. did it take you. completely by surprise. so i actually saw the dude. because he tried to pull out in between. how was the follow vehicle. did you guys make eye to eye contact. yeah i literally looked right at this. dude. and tapped my horn because i thought he. was just another afghan trying to pull.

out because he thought it was clear. and we really didn't want him in between. us because once we hit the edge of town. we're going to be hauling ass with a. nice loose follow. but we didn't want to have that other. vehicle i mean it was just more of a. convenience thing than anything else. so he had pulled off to the side of the. road complying with our. our lead vehicle which was the locals. gun truck. so everybody's you know everything was. pretty cool. but when he started to nudge forward. like he was going to pull out i.

tapped the horn twice and he looked. right at me and he gave me one of them. really standard patented afghan bows in. the hand up like oh. i'm sorry you know we've all if you've. worked in that environment you've seen. it a million times because there's. people everywhere you go. and then when we went by him lo and. behold. this dude driving this just piece of. crap. car which again you see all over there. he didn't give me any indication that he. was a threat. i did see him he looked right at me i.

looked right at him and i was like cool. he was cool and then he freaking rams us. and blows us up it's like okay so he. didn't show any. he wasn't none of the typical signs not. he wasn't nervous. wasn't sweating none of that [ __ ] no. just. because i saw him clear his day the car. wasn't like all weighted funny on one. side um. it was masked very well because i was. aware. of the threats and i was looking for the.

threats. and he got one by and bam there we go. son of a [ __ ]. was there any was there any type of. a follow-on attack a lot of times when. a lot of times that's an initiation to. something a lot. bigger right right there was not. we literally the the escorts like i said. did their job. nobody took a shot at us um not one shot. not one shot there was no additional. follow-on it wasn't an initiator.

to a bigger ambush which is what you're. kind of referring to there. there there was nothing it was just one. dude in a car bomb. trying to make a point in the vehicle. before you exited. you'd mention that the car was on fire. flames were coming through the windows. how long like what was the conversation. like. in the car with. with your writing partner and.

any other assets or special people would. just call them. sure what was that conversation like. so like i mentioned we ended up on the. passenger side so we're literally the. vehicles like this. and i'm turned sideways looking out. um the first thought was. everything to my right which was the. bottom of the vehicle. and the driver's side which is now. straight up in the air. had big flames coming around it.

so the first thought was okay how are we. going to get out of here. and then my passenger. shotgun seat who was a staffer for the. agency. he said the words really fast and loud. the windshield and i looked forward and. that's when i realized the flames were. starting to come in because there was no. windshield. and he went he was gone so it's just me. and our passengers.

from that point on i was like okay he's. doing something else i guess we're on. our own here. yeah i did a quick self-assessment. you know when it first happened like all. right my head seems fine. arms fingers are still there legs fell. around didn't feel anything wet. i saw my microphone which was turned on. to our internal channel. so i clicked the button and said we're. hit. and then from that point i started. talking to the passengers making sure. they're okay. hey you guys all right everything okay.

one of them was pretty dazed. the other one was shocked but otherwise. fine so i talked them through coming out. literally step by step come on out you. know here i want you to do this do this. and the one of my partners the guy who. was the. right seat in the lead vehicle. who goes by duck or did at the time went. by call sign duck. former seal he was johnny on the spot. man right there. at the corner of our vehicle saying come. to me come to me while i'm talking them.

out one of the passengers was insistent. he needed to get something out of the. back. and i had to eventually tell him the. third time it was. i said we you need to get out i said. look we're on fire you need to get the. [ __ ]. out now which it finally shook him he. was like oh. oh okay and he stopped hunting around. for something in the debris that was now. everywhere. inside of there he went out and then i. climbed out of my. chair or my seat got down onto the.

window if you will or the passenger's. door window. did a quick search around grabbed a. radio grabbed a bandolier of. 203 rounds grabbed the grenade launcher. that went with it. slung it over my my body was looking. everywhere for my rifle which i could. not find. and the flames were literally coming in. as a matter of fact while i was sitting. in the chair talking them through. i kept doing this because i was like. damn it stop it because the flames were. coming around and trying to burn my face.

um but then i had all that stuff. got out moved away from the vehicle. you didn't have your rifle no it wasn't. in the car. so all you have was what a pistol and a. pistol. a 203 and a bandolier rounds holy [ __ ]. which is what maybe 20 rounds tops. probably yeah i think it was 20 rounds. if i'm not mistaken. how many operators are on the ground uh. so. me and my partner who had unasked the. vehicle unexpectedly.

and then the two guys that were driving. the other vehicle. one of which stayed in the driver's. position the. duck got out of the passenger's position. and came and helped. of course like i said the escorts. we had just trained on movement to. contact two days prior. so they did exactly what we had just. trained. to do surrounded the area controlled it. while we we got out and later the guy. that had unasked my. passenger seat who was now running.

around screaming. outside finally came up to me and. smacked me in the chest and goes. here's your rifle and i took it and i. looked at it and it was so covered in. soot and ash and crap i was like i don't. think that's mine but whatever i got a. rifle now i'm good. you know so you're with you're with four. operators. we're talking about three and a half. because one's a [ __ ] loser. so but um how many. or how many liabilities uh. there were two in each car so we then.

had to. put r2 in the other car so you're. babysitting four people. four folks you got three operators and. you got one guy that. just lost his [ __ ] mind yep. he did get a nice award though because. he was the staffer. that's how it works over there yep did. anybody fire any shots after this. now man when i came out um before. you guys yeah before he came up and. jammed me in the chest with my rifle.

i was literally scanning everywhere. because at that time. they were hitting our forces and. videotaping it and then. selling those videotapes in the bazaar. and it was one of the ways that the. taliban and al qaeda were making money. so i was looking searching for anybody. around that was videotaping the whole. thing. didn't see anybody so no we didn't we. didn't have to fire a shot. wow nobody and nobody videoed i remember. when that was all happening because they.

actually videoed some of red wing. and i used to get these at. videos from our intel department and i. would use them. to kind of uh it was almost like a. pre-mission ritual to get. my mind where i wanted it to be before. we would go on opposite but. um but they didn't video it. and you got i mean that. is that shows a lot of discipline that.

not one shot was fired from you or your. team. after being hit with a [ __ ] car bomb. your shit's on fire. you got four liabilities that you're. trying to. keep some hand in control over you got. one guy who's lost his [ __ ] mind and. then the other two guys would sound like. they're pretty solid. do you think you had any tbi from that. or any long. long term injuries from that blast i.

didn't bang my head or anything and the. overpressure was kept outside. again the the vehicle was so new. it worked as advertised wow including. the windshield falling out. when we went on my side then we rolled. up to the roof. and went across the a-pillar and the. pressure of it being pushed on. the way the windshields are made they're. angled so. outwards so that pressure coming this. way just. makes it even tighter but coming the.

other direction they'll just. pop right out and that's what it did. so i didn't really. so you really knew anything you were. unscathed. yeah i had not a scratch on me which is. why the chief of base. was like i can't believe this because. you know the other people had. little bumps bruises stitches like i. said maybe a cracked rib on one person. they were. kind of sore the only thing i had was a. little bit of singed hair up here from. ducking the flames.

repeatedly but it grew back all good. wow when you got out of the car and. i'm sure you're getting situational. awareness on the ground. did you was there any residue. of the car that hit you. yeah there was debris everywhere. uh i actually have some pictures one of. them is. the guy that was driving the car um. his whole face just sitting on the.

ground. got a gory but great picture. of the the dude's last moment on earth. no [ __ ] so his head yeah. is on the i mean i've seen that before. yeah. usually it's from a suicide bomber not a. car bomb. right with a belt yeah because their. head is. going to detonate their head goes up in. the air and everything else is just. turns into you know a pink mist.

but this so this dude's head so he. looked into his eyes again. for a second time he just you know yep. wasn't mentally present anymore. he was there but he was no longer there. well you know i'm sure he was there in. spirit. but um wow and you have pictures of that. yeah i do i don't know if we can put. those on the channel or not but. it's kind of kind of graphic i'd like to. see them i'll be happy to show you it to.

you. so i mean that well that's a pretty damn. fitting call sign was anybody. how the [ __ ] did you get out of there. you're down a vehicle. yep was anybody coming to get you did. you have comms with anybody higher. well we we just let them know through. the satcom that we had that we had been. hit. we had recovered all passengers and we. were continuing mission. so basically we jammed all of our packs. into the first vehicle.

so now they're literally sardines we had. one person. sitting in the very back with their. luggage you know kind of laid out across. it and the three of them pinned in it. doesn't sound like that would be that. tight. but as you and i both know you're. wearing full body armor. which they only wear it when they gotta. move so it's not stuff that fits them. it's just big bulky stuff to keep them. safe so they're jammed in there. so duck and i you know my my. right seat guy ended up taking the right.

seat of the other vehicle. and then duck and i got in the back seat. of our escorts pickup truck. and we actually let it out so the. remaining vehicle followed us. in the lead gun truck so now we're. literally riding in the thin skin. with the locals and then the tail gun. truck came up behind us. and now three vehicles continued on to. kenhar airfield. wow in fact we had to calm the driver. down.

because he was going so [ __ ] fast. we were both afraid that he was going to. wreck and kill us after we just lived. through this crowd of sex. [ __ ] how was that hey dude chill out man. no big deal slowed down just a little. bit and he was like. it's like no no it's good it's good just. slow down a little bit a little bit slow. down and he kind of slowed down like. good good yes good. and we we were still going really fast. but the car was or the truck wasn't. going. so bad it felt like the front end was.

gonna fall off or he was gonna lose. control. so yeah it was it was kind of a funny. after effect in fact uh. duck and i looked at each other and goes. dude i hate to sound. so crass but i so wish i had my camera. because when that car blew up. it was spectacular it was like something. out of a movie i mean. our car when we were out of it because. it was pissing fuel. out the tank because of the heat from. all the flames. and that fuel was coming out raw but.

where it ended. it was on fire so it was like your. flamethrower over here. in a much grander scale and it's like as. the fuel. level went down it worked its way back. and when it got to the vehicle. that whole thing went boom boom and it. was like a three-story high. fireball holy [ __ ] yeah i was standing. about 50 feet away from it and went. wow i will never forget. when i when i saw where they put the car.

and they let us go look at it and uh. i've been still to this day even looking. at the picture. i just can't believe anybody survived. that and then. at the same time we had no idea agency. personnel were even there. right we had just gotten there and i was. like holy [ __ ] cia's here. and and uh yeah. it was me yeah we're getting blown up. but uh last thing on this do you think.

there's anything you could have done to. prevent that. i mean it doesn't sound like there was. much you could have taken a different. route maybe. but i mean all in all you saw the threat. you didn't think he was a threat he. blows himself up is there anything. you would have done different or could. have done different to avoid that. entire thing unfortunately it was one of. those situations where we had. little to no choice on the route. because there was only one way to get.

there so you were channelized. and i did see him like i said and i. looked right at him. and he gave me no indication whatsoever. that he was a threat. and like i said we knew there were. threats so we were looking for threats. we had really good intel. but you know just because you know. they're there you don't know exactly. which one it is. and if the guy doesn't look like he's. doing anything wrong and he looks like. he's complying.

with simple gestures. drive on move yeah well i mean even. even good intel i mean. you know what are they going to tell you. [ __ ] white toyota corolla is a car. bomb with a license plate number that's. like. over there you're either driving a white. toyota corolla. or a [ __ ] toyota high level. or a motorcycle and that's about it yep. so how many intel reports did you see.

about a white. toyota corolla possible or probable. v-bed being in the area and you'd be. like oh look. another white corolla that's going to. kill us you know yeah. it did it got to be a [ __ ] joke. good job guys every car in afghanistan's. a [ __ ] white toyota corolla potential. thanks for the heads up but uh so. moving forward just a little bit we. finally. got to work together in.

in the capitol in kabul we got into a. little tiff. that could have gone extremely bad. i needed backup i called you. unfortunately for you. you were eating an omelette and had to. leave it but um. and i lost a red shoe but point being. you showed up. and i'm going to turn it over to you in. just a second here but. it was another example of how of you.

using. extreme restraint and and and. an enormous amount of discipline. that could have gone really bad well and. i left because i had. a couple of special people with me that. uh. we needed to get the [ __ ] out of there. but why don't you kind of talk about. what happened. um after i left. sure um like you said we obviously. responded to a qrf call. there was only me and another guy and as.

we were running to the car. we ran across a third guy from our. program who joined us. immediately so there's only three of us. and when we. got there we recognized that you guys. were blocked in they weren't letting you. out. these were afghan soldiers they had guns. they had what was obviously some afghan. officer. who was creating the difficulty. but what he had already done to you guys.

and this was confirmed later by. high-level agency people. we were cleared hot just to go in there. and smoke his ass. and let you out of there based on the. rules of engagement. now just because you're authorized to do. something. doesn't always mean that's the right. thing to do. in that situation which we actually. talked about before. it probably would have created an. international incident. had we done what we were authorized to.

do so instead. i told the guys just be cool just act. like everybody's everybody's. friend let's make sure nobody's pointing. guns at each other. but stay close to the car doors so if we. need to take cover we can use these. armored doors which bolts actually won't. go through the armored doors. as cover um the this. guy that we found out later was a. colonel was. enraged for whatever reason because you. guys happen to be sharing the same road. space that he was that day.

and he came over and approached me and i. was just like hey man it's cool it's. calmed down and he was. obviously speaking in in whatever. language that he was speaking in dari. farsi whatever. um pashtu i'm not sure but he was highly. animated so i wouldn't have been able to. pick up on. what language it was anyways and i was. like it's okay. it's okay no problem you know and i had. my rifle but i intentionally held it. down because i knew i could. use it if i needed but let's keep it so. that it's not threatening.

try to diffuse the situation and it. worked. but the guy as a parting gift decided. that he was. because he was doing this a lot and then. he was standing pretty close to me and i. was starting to get a little. uncomfortable with how close he was. but every nobody was pulling guns nobody. was shooting. so it was okay and we had to cover it if. he went the other direction. but he did take his hand at one point in. time. and he like reached out and did that and. hit me in the throat.

indicating he would cut my throat and at. that point in time. that's where the real restraint came in. because. now i'm wanting to subdue this guy. roll him up and take him back for. some extracurricular questioning with. our people. but instead i decided to get everybody. just back into the car because they. couldn't go anywhere we.

were now blocking them we got you out of. there because that was a priority. getting the packs away from the scene. and. we just literally wouldn't let them. leave until. our afghan qrf came surrounded all of. them. and then we got all the information that. we needed from them. and then the next day we went and paid. him a visit with. some very interesting. afghan intelligence people who outranked.

him. some other people some other people i. mean he was he was pissed i mean i. kicked the [ __ ] out of him right in. front of all his [ __ ] buddies. before he showed up so that son of a. [ __ ] did get my shoe. but but point being. you showed a hell of a lot of restraint. again you totally could have [ __ ]. killed. everybody involved in that that was not. an american and and you didn't. and you did save it from being an.

international incident. i want you to tell these stories because. i want to show the level of restraint. that you have. leading up to what happened. december 27th yep 27th two days after. christmas. 2018. yep i was sitting at home i get a. phone call. from your employee at sarah code nation. you were working at. your it was your business you were one. of the owners of circle nation.

and your employee calls me and tells me. that you hadn't been to work in. i believe three days because i got the. call on the 30th. you just left my house he's like ah you. know this isn't like. don you know and i'm like yeah no [ __ ]. it's not like don. you'd been gone for three days according. to him i punch up your name. start googling your name and i'll be. damned all these [ __ ] articles start. coming up. and none of the articles i think there.

was. three or four of them maybe one of the. articles says. you had opened fire on somebody over a. road rage incident. another article said somebody had opened. fire on you. another one said you're in the hospital. somebody else is in the hospital none of. this [ __ ] jived i had not met your wife. pam at the time. found her on facebook and your son. who i had not met either and.

luckily they messaged me back and um. we hit the road and spent new year's eve. in the hospital where. you were recovering so why don't you i. know that. there's only so much you can tell us. because. it's in litigation right now correct. yeah. tell us what you can about the actual. incident. and where it happened sure so it. happened on the macon county line. the shop was just inside the macon.

county line and i. went north into monroe county on the way. home and i wasn't very far into monroe. county when. uh all this went down this is georgia. correct this is all georgia. middle georgia obviously because there. is. an open case criminal case with all of. this. where i've been indicted. we can't get into a lot of the specifics. but i will say that. a an ice cream salesman. who has a history of domestic violence.

as a matter of fact. he has a documented history. of domestic violence are those all. different incidents that he's been. this is a court document where he. was issued a restraining order to stay. away from. family members and was also ordered. to undergo a batterers intervention. program. so you know i don't know the specifics. of it all i know is obviously. this guy's got a background with it.

there's a history of violence there's a. history of violence there. and he also admitted in his statement. because we've had discovery and i've. seen his statement. that he was road raging so do the other. people that were with him. before we get into specifics what are. you being indicted for. aggravated assault and. i think it's possession of a firearm. during the commission of a crime. i want to say is the other one okay. something to do with having a firearm.

while it. went down right now. i already know the answer to this but. you need to say it. are you innocent [ __ ] yeah i'm innocent. they literally have the situation 180. degrees. and think about it he gives a statement. i'm [ __ ] bleeding out on the ground. and then go to the trauma center where i. later. 24 hours later more than 24 hours later.

undergo brain surgery. i never said much of anything until. over two weeks later when i was well. enough to actually. tell my side of what had just went down. that or what it went down that day. but by that time a strange thing had. gone really disturbingly wrong. apparently even though they had my. driver's license got my. license plate on my pickup truck got my. vin number got everything they need to. identify who i am.

they pulled the background of a career. felon instead of you. instead of me they literally told pam. and you know what she's gonna do a much. better job of telling that story than. i can but the guy said that i was a. career felon with a rap sheet as long as. your arm. including with felony convictions. including drug convictions. who had no legal right to be in. possession of a firearm. so they threw everything.

out the window it seems and just say. he's guilty. wrap this [ __ ] up and go home boys but. did they think you were dead. i you know i can only speculate but it. seems like they thought i was dead or. about to die. so they just blame the [ __ ] on me and. said let's wrap this up and go home. what did you get shot in the head with a. 38. revolver a 38 yep little snub nose. pistol i knew what it was as soon as i. saw it as soon as he was pointing it at. me.

i want to put a picture up right now on. youtube showing where he got shot in the. head. okay so there it is yeah it's not pretty. yeah it's pretty gnarly yeah. chicks dig scars though right. [Laughter]. yeah um you shot in the head. by a 30-a revolver. were you i mean was it instant lights.

out there's. there's not a whole hell of a lot of. people in the world that lived to tell. the tale of being shot. in the head was it lights out. do you do you remember i don't remember. being hit. okay what's your first memory after. being hit. um there was some real. foggy stuff i was in and out of. consciousness. [Music]. the the first real memory i was actually.

in the emergency room of this trauma. center. being wheeled around because i remember. the movement was really really. difficult because moving at all. at that point you know with a freaking. bullet in your brain. was uh messing with the. the wound the injury the bullet was it. was. inside my skull in there yeah is it.

still in there. well there it was i i'm guessing that it. was a hollow point. and i think that's an educated guess but. it turned into a bunch of shrapnel. pieces once it hit my skull. it broke my skull i have a indentation. to this day. and of course it popped or shattered. pieces in other areas where i got. hairline fractures. spiral fractures just a lot of [ __ ] and.

the bullet fragments went in. and they're literally sitting on the. artery that feeds. the right hemisphere of my brain. absolutely literally surrounding it. sharp little shards of steel. lead are sitting on top of that artery. i'll put the x-rays on the screen right. now yeah so. big concern is obviously with the. doctors it's common to have. seizures around the one year mark. if i have a seizure one of those shards.

will. almost certainly poke through that. artery and it'll kill me. well we're right out of here yeah and uh. yep. cbd call sign was lucky. yeah so let's uh. pray that that continues yeah. well with the help of cbd. um because i tried using their. anti-seizure medicine for. a few weeks and it just made me. violently ill so i switched to. cbd now i live in florida and i actually.

take. medical grade cbd. in florida um but that shit's magic. well it's good to hear that something's. helping you man yeah. so where was pam during all this you're. in the hospital. we talked about your first memory you're. getting wheeled around. where's where's your wife she's at home. wondering where the hell i am. well speaking of your wife we actually. have her on the line so.

hey pam how are you good how are you. guys doing. i'm doing pretty good so i have your. husband. sitting here and we just got to the part. where. he was shot in the head now he's in the. hospital. you don't know where he's at can you. kind of walk us through a. sequence of events on. what happened from your perspective and. also how you were treated. after your husband's just been shot in.

the head. sure um. usually don beats me home from work. so as the hours went by. and i could not reach him by phone or. text. um every hour that kicked by i was. getting. more concerned scared obviously. extremely worried it was raining. really hard that night so i had no idea.

what happened i just knew something was. wrong. i literally got to a point where i. called. every hospital in georgia and was told. that he was not at any of the hospitals. i called. a few of them i actually called twice. um because i thought the response that i. got when i called was.

a little off um. anyways finally um my son became. as worried as i was after you know. obviously the hours went by. and we figured out don's password. finally. and my son and i tracked his phone you. found him by tracking his phone. yeah and don's not a bar hopper or. anything like he's not a drinker who. definitely wasn't at the bar.

you know 100 something's going on. exactly there's no doubt in my mind. i i knew i could sense something was. wrong. but i just had no idea what. um we pinned this phone and um. it pinged behind a fire station. so i of course looked up the number and. called the fire station right away. told them um my husband has been missing.

since three o'clock in the afternoon was. the last time i spoke with him. and um his phone is pinging. behind your fire station i said can you. please tell me. what's behind the fire station. and the firemen told me that. it was a holding lot. and we've never had any contact at all. with the police at all so i didn't know.

i. said to him where did the holding look i. had no idea. how long had he been missing at this. point. um this was about one o'clock in the. morning that we finally. pinned his phone okay and. uh dom are you conscious at all at this. time. completely out i don't remember any of. that they had me on morphine drift yeah. um the firemen.

actually put me on hold and got me the. number to the police department. and um then i called the police. department. and i never called the police department. before this. because don's never been in any type of. trouble. so i knew he wasn't going to be at a. police department. you know just totally outlined my thing. was. with the weather situation that. you know something might happen what.

police department did you contact. it was uh the monroe county. sheriff's department okay. and um so i called there and actually. spoke to a corporal person. um and my son of course was with me this. whole time we had. this guy on speakerphone and um. yeah um corporal and told me that.

they had my husband and um they were. processing him but he was injured but. they're processing them. and so me never dealing with like i said. the police before i. assumed don was at the police department. and. i mean he had cut on his hand or. something i mean i had no clue. and i said is there a reason that he. hasn't been. able to is there a reason he hasn't. called me yet. they mean processing is in processing.

like you're going to jail. exactly and you don't know he's been. shot in the head at this point oh no. oh no i have no idea i'm literally. thinking. that he's at the jail and he's i'm. assuming he's got a cut on his hand or. something you know i and i have no clue. and um anyways i have asked you know is. there a reason he hasn't been able to. call me yet because here i am scared to. death. what's happening and um he said oh man. these sometimes this takes some time.

i was like okay and i hung up the phone. with this guy. not knowing what else to ask or you know. anyways i called back about 10 minutes. later and said. hey when is visitation hours tomorrow. because i'm thinking. i will be at the police department 10. minutes before i can go see him and find. out what the hell is going on. and um then i'm informed by this. corporation. that don is not there and i cannot go.

see him. and i'm like sir i just hung up the. phone with you you know you told me your. presence and my husband and he's injured. he said yes ma'am but. um he's not here he's at the hospital. and i. screamed he's at the hospital he said. yes ma'am he's been. shot in the head holy [ __ ]. and um i literally hit the floor. um started screaming is he alive.

and i don't know why i said this but i. said. can he talk i. weird things go through your mind in. these situations and. anyways um. and put me on hold for about it seemed. like five minutes or so and he came back. and he said your husband is alive. and i said well i'm going i said to my. son and he could hear. i'm going to put jeans on and.

said you need to stop you'll be arrested. if you go anywhere near the hospital. they were going to arrest you arrest me. to go if we went anywhere near the. hospital. to visit your husband who was just shot. in the head yes. so what did they tell you to do anything. he told me that i had to wait until 8. o'clock the next morning. when investigator our lieutenant.

would be able to answer some questions. for us. um i asked if there was a reason why. investigators lieutenant hadn't called. me. at that point you know before this time. and. um i was told that well ma'am it was. shift change oh [ __ ]. and i was just floored. um needless to say i was up all night.

worried to death about my husband who. had just been told he was shot in the. head. wow it at eight o'clock the next morning. i was on the phone with. investigators and they told me. he won't believe that he said um. your husband's a career criminal. with the rap she's as long as your arm.

he said um he has several felony charges. including drug convictions. so he's not even legally allowed to. possess the gun. holy [ __ ] and the whole time he's. telling me this i'm crying. of course and um anderson then produced. to tell me. um what he thought happened. to don which turned out to be as.

inaccurate as the background check that. they pulled on my husband. so they pulled the wrong rap sheet. on your husband and told you that he was. a career. criminal after he'd been shot in the. head. and nobody's seen him yet other than the. doctor. and the officer who's guarding his. hospital room. that you're not allowed to go see. exactly.

um and then then. um told me that don was in local trauma. center. and he eventually again repeated that if. my son or i went anywhere near the. hospital. we would be arrested holy [ __ ]. um i was telling the non-stop for this. that um that is not my husband you've. got the wrong man. i told him you know we've been married.

over 30 years he's got the wrong guy. here. something's not right. and just. proceeded to tell me that if i'd been. married. to this career criminal as long as. i told him i had been that he found it. hard to believe that i wasn't aware of. his criminal record wow. um then anderson proceeded to tell me.

that my husband had been shot dead. he will be having surgery and they will. be putting the metal plate in his head. and if again if we go anywhere near the. hospital we'll be arrested. so what i literally i literally stood up. and hit the floor. when i could finally talk i was. literally screaming. sorry um they're gonna put a plate in. his head.

they're gonna put a plate in his head. and i stood up again and hit the floor. again. um by the way he does not. have a plate in his head. at 10 a.m approximately 10 a.m the next. morning. so this is now about 18 hours after my. husband had been shot. i was told got a phone call from.

something that came to light and i could. go. to icu and see my husband. so what was it like when you got to the. hospital and you saw. your husband oh my god. my son literally had to help me to the. car. and put me in the car and put a bucket. in my lap. and drove me the hospital.

we walked into the icy icu. approximately 20 hours after my husband. had been. shot in the head wow. in that time of course he could have. died. yeah very easily. you know he changed our lives forever he. reached in and literally ripped out. part of my heart.

um i thought i used to be a strong. person. and now of course. i've been diagnosed with severe panic. attacks. and ptsd from the way we were treated. wow so um. walking you know i apologized walking in. to be done.

um once i got there. um the total shock of seeing it all was. just overwhelming. um i stayed extremely calm once i was. with him. which was really surprising. but i ran right to him and grabbed his. hand and said baby i'm here. was dom responsive do you remember this. done. kinda so you were like in and out oh.

yeah. [ __ ] up bro okay i mean i don't know. why. sure you've been blown up. yeah but uh i'm just kidding but. did the relationship with monroe county. sheriff's department. improve after they had realized that. they had given you the wrong [ __ ] rap. sheet. and allowed you to go to the hospital. and and see. your husband did they did they get any.

better did they improve. they apologize oh god no. i was actually told by him and. i told him on the phone at one point. that um i had to have don cellphone. um i said you know i've got to get in. touch with his. shop i've got to let somebody know. what's going on. um told me that he would be. he would bring his cell phone to.

don's hospital well needless to say. um he did not do that um and i. did not speak with him again at that. point um. it got to a point where i couldn't even. communicate with people. um i had the words but i couldn't get. the words out. and the only time i was calmed down a.

little bit. was when i was actually with don. it was just crazy. and a lot of things happened during this. process. too the way they treated my son. myself and my. oh husband just totally unacceptable. yeah i remember i showed up me and katie. showed up.

shortly after this part and um. i don't want to make you go into it any. farther but i just want to say. thank you for reliving that with us and. um. i i appreciate you taking our call and. um. don you have anything love you baby. i love you too all right pam. say one quick thing sean of course. um i don't care if you're.

purple or green or red or blue nobody. should be treated the way. monroe county sheriff's department. treated my family. nobody yeah that's for damn sure. and i still struggle with i have. no idea how to thank the people. that helped us i thank god for not.

taking down from me that night. i thank the nurses and the doctors for. keeping my husband alive. i think you know my son who while we. raced. such a strong young man who helped me so. much through all of this. my boss my co-workers. my mother who financially stepped up. and helped us clock tower ninja and.

keith and you and katie. curtin kirk and james nahan. and all the people that were in route to. my house that i. stopped. i i just how do you thank these people. well you just did and it just shows you. guys got a lot of love coming towards. you and now. you know we're all praying for you. yeah so.

all right pam we're going to let you go. for now. all right love you guys love you too. thank you. all right bye bye. well that was pretty emotional what's it. like to hear. your wife tell that story it rips my. [ __ ] heart out dude. that's we've been married for 35 years. she has we dated for two years before.

we're married. we know each other that's my best friend. and that guy talked to her. like she was white trash that was. beneath him. and i'll never forgive him for that. that's tough to listen to man yeah i. mean. to be treated like that 14 years in the. military. a green beret a seer instructor in the. air force then how many years did you do. with the agency. eight years 21 trips eight years at the.

agency. 21 trips 21 trips [ __ ] i think you had. me beat. but 21 trips with the agency they. mistake. your record for a [ __ ] criminal's. record. they don't correct it and the next thing. you know. and if i'm mistaken correct me. but this goes to the news yeah the the. that's really one of the disturbing. things that happened. was first of all they misidentified.

who i was and who what my background is. i mean because when you pull in whatever. their computer system is that they look. at it. it should have had nothing next to me. maybe a speeding ticket. you know but the sheriff who. coincidentally. had just been sworn in one week to the. day before this went down. within moments of this happening. he went on tv.

and he's basically talking all this. interpretation of what he thought. happened. even though one obviously he wasn't. there two he didn't have any statement. or information from me. and three he thought i was a career. criminal. so the sheriff went on. public television yes and mistakenly. ruined your name by giving somebody a. criminal's.

rap sheet saying that it's your rap. sheet. no he did not okay that's incorrect he. did not say. that i was a criminal he believed. i was a criminal went on tv and. exonerated the person who had attacked. me. and then didn't say i was guilty but. left the only. thing you know the the the the. so he went on tv. he didn't say i was a criminal he went.

on believing i was a criminal. and then he said things that exon in his. mind and. in the viewing audience's mind. exonerated. the person who had attacked me which. left the only conclusion. in their minds to be that i was the. attacker. and it's literally 180 degrees off so. are they going did they apologize for. doing that. well the sheriff whose name is um.

literally just decided to keep moving. forward. holy [ __ ] because i didn't even come in. until over two weeks after it happened. where i was healthy enough to give a. statement and when i got there. all they wanted to do was throw. handcuffs on me and put me under the. jail somewhere. they would they didn't listen to. anything we said they. i mean they heard it but they weren't. listening in fact the guy even said to. me at one point in time. because i had an attorney with me i'm. not an idiot.

he said to me at one time you ready to. change your story yet. and i said theo if i changed my story. i'd have to lie. i'm telling you the truth so anyways. holy [ __ ] they're an interesting group. and coincidentally. you know obviously in the aftermath of. that we started doing a little research. about. what's going on here you know how could. they be so. off in their conclusions when they. hadn't even conducted. an investigation but yet they ran with. it as though everything was.

clear-cut well then we find. the previous new year's eve the same. sheriff's department. had pulled over a couple for allegedly. having. too dark of tint on their car windows. turned out it wasn't too dark. so since they're there they decide to. search the car there's nothing in the. car. but there's a bag of cotton candy which. they identified as meth. methamphetamine and arrested the woman. for some reason i guess she probably.

said it was my i don't know. i don't know all the ins and outs of it. but they arrested her for a bag of. cotton candy. and then held her in jail for three. months. until the georgia bureau of. investigation did a test. on it and said yeah it's cotton candy. guys. then they held her for three more days. before they let her go this is the exact. same. exact same sheriff's department and as a. matter of fact there's a history of this. [ __ ]. yeah when you google it the same. investigators name comes up on the uh. the news reports so i don't know what.

the connection is between them but. you know it's starting to look like. maybe there's something going on there. and then is it going are these. are these articles online can i leave. yes please do link them all. all you got to do is google georgia. woman arrested for cotton candy. you'll see the dash cam you'll read the. whole story. and you'll see the name of the. investigator who also was the. investigator on my case. when mysteriously my background check. comes back as a career criminal.

instead of somebody who's never been in. trouble and had a top secret security. clearance. are there any more examples of that. there's. some disturbing things that continue to. come out of that department. so four months before i was shot. in august one of their deputies gets. busted because a fox. 5 i-team investigator gets a recording. from a woman where a monroe county. sheriff's deputy had arrested her.

for dui and drug charges and then. called her a couple of days later. apparently or allegedly whatever. and picked her up in his personal pickup. truck. drove her into the woods and told her. because this is on the recording and you. can hear this. that he would go to the d.a and. work something out on her charges if he. just you know. give me a little blow job we'll take. care of it right now you got to be. [ __ ] me and this is a this is a. recording that you can pull up and. listen to. yep yep holy [ __ ] yeah.

and then after that um. after my incident which was four months. later. the next thing that happens which just. happened. in december the end of december another. one of their deputies. while wearing insignia and this is on. the monroe county sheriff's department. facebook page you can read it right. there. while wearing monroe county sheriff's. department insignia. identifying himself as a deputy gets. busted in a neighboring county's.

drug sting wow so he's been. arrested charged fired just like the. previous guy. well then me and you you came here a. couple days ago we actually tried the. podcast. your tbi traumatic brain injury got the. best of you we had to take break. and um we find the article i googled. them. yep what's the first thing that came up. that they. had just killed the guy while they were. booking him into the jail. so there's a lot of history that well.

cotton candy. [ __ ] cop. this freaking military and cia. professionals a career criminal. the uh. buying drugs while wearing insignia. identifying him as a cop. and now they just killed the guy while. they were booking him into jail. over an altercation is what it says i.

don't know the specifics and nobody's. looking into your stuff yet. other than your attorney and. a couple of friends like me and. some other people that we know i'm so. sorry that you're having to go through. this. um i mean i know that you. you had to sell your house you sold your. motorcycle. you sold your truck you sold just about. everything. just to be able to pay for an attorney.

to prove. that you're innocent i mean what. and you moved out of georgia to florida. your home state how long have you lived. in georgia. almost 25 years 25 [ __ ] years you. lived there. called it home and now you have to leave. because you feel threatened by a [ __ ]. sheriff's department. yep very true that's [ __ ]. disgusting just to put things in. perspective here. you asked me to to write a letter.

yes how many letters from. agency personnel military personnel. special operations. i mean people who hold integrity to them. in the highest regards how many letters. did you get. i got them from everybody i asked not. only did they write them but they were. like. i'll expose my cover and testify. for you because there's no way they got. this right. i've seen you in action i've seen you.

show tremendous restraint there's no. [ __ ] way what they're saying happened. happened what do you need me to do i'm. there for you did that have. any effect at all um you know it'll. probably hold some sway over the jury. if it gets to that point which it looks. like it will quite frankly. but the sheriff's department doesn't. give a [ __ ]. they made up their mind early on. and ran with it why the [ __ ] do you.

think they're doing this to you. dude i i don't know i can't i can only. speculate. um but it is interesting to know that. the incidences that. we just mentioned they didn't unearth. any of those. every one of them was brought to their. attention by an outside agency. or by a news crew or outside individuals. so they don't seem to be real big on. looking deeply into things concerning. them but they're all over anything that.

they can. really just hammer the [ __ ] out of. people for if they feel. justified in doing so they're not public. servants they are more. it feels like they're even at war. with the people that they should be. protecting well let's talk a little bit. about. how you're dealing how's your health and. i know being shot in the head has.

changed. yeah it's changed a lot of uh pretty. much everything about your life. and i mean we can't even get through. yeah we tried how many. two or three different times to make. this podcast and the the brain injury. just gets in the way. every time you get dizzy can you tell us. a little bit about. how this has changed your daily life and. and your wife and your son and your. daughter and yeah well. the first off it's very very traumatic.

and uh has been damaging to pam pam is. the strongest person. she's been with me through the entire. military career all the deployments. all the cia time she found out later. that i'd been blown up and obviously she. was very concerned about that but she. handled everything like a trooper strong. woman. this has destroyed her i mean she has. panic attacks. she's on medication to keep calm because. when she starts thinking about it well.

you heard her on the phone. her voice just shakes uncontrollably she. has a hard time even. saying the words because it's just. so overwhelming to her as far as me. yeah i'm [ __ ] up bro i got shot in the. head. so i've got residual issues i have. permanent balance issues. as you've seen and sometimes the. dizziness overwhelms me it can even. sweep me off my feet if i'm standing up. so i have to be careful.

helps a lot if i'm i got my elbows on. things because. it's like my internal gyroscope's no. longer working correctly. it does for short bursts but then in the. long term it it just starts going crazy. and i get really dizzy really fast start. stumbling. um a lot of times i just have to lay. down. so you know like you mentioned we we. tried to do this. a couple of times and i just start. falling out because i fade. and when i fade i can't get the words.

that are in my mind. to come out of my mouth so that i can. make comprehensive sentences and. statements. so it's interesting it's difficult. but what are the doctors saying that i. mean is there going to be improvement do. they know. so they don't really know they told pam. from the beginning expect a new norm. you know he's not going to be the same. possibly ever. he may get a little bit better he may. not get any better.

um i have gotten a little bit better. thank god. but it could take the rest of my life to. get. any better than i am right now or i may. not get any better at all. or who knows it could get could get. better a little bit every year. nobody knows like i mentioned before i. got bullet shrapnel. sharp shards of metal sitting on the. artery. that feeds the entire right hemisphere. of my brain so if i do have a seizure. i'm done or if you get hit and fall the.

wrong way yeah if i fall because i get. dizzy. bump my head it's probably over you know. so then you have all the stress. from the lawsuit so well it's not a. lawsuit it's a criminal prosecution. that they're running against me so. they're prosecuting you. you just got done with the discovery. phase correct correct. if you're found guilty which i'm. praying and i know you won't because.

you're lucky. and i've got the truth i was lucky but. um what do you what say you're found. guilty what are you looking. at up to 22 years in prison i will die. in prison if it came to that. because i ain't gonna live to be in my. 80s not with this road hard and put away. body that i'm walking around in. [ __ ] dude yeah it's pretty serious you. know. it's uh another near-death experience in.

my life and. uh this one unfortunately has an after. effect that i have to contend with in. the form of. some very aggressive uh. militant people. that apparently would rather be out. killing terrorists than being sheriffs. but they're sheriffs so. they seem to be acting kind of the same. way. actually no we wouldn't put up with the. way that they're acting.

where we came from they wouldn't last i. just [ __ ] hate that this is happening. to you. i don't want to keep going on because i. don't want. i don't want you to have an episode with. your tbi. is there anything you want people to. know. before we wrap this up well the first. thing i want them to know. without a shadow of a doubt i didn't do. what they said i did. and i am more stunned than anybody.

that they came to the conclusions that. they came to especially after we went in. and clearly showed them. that that's not the case but they just. literally wouldn't hear it. so there's something to miss in the. monroe county sheriff's department. the people that are representing georgia. in the middle of georgia. are having some issues. and somebody preferably somebody with. some state or federal authority.

needs to kind of look at what's going on. there because this is a real. trend it's not just some guy that's. under threat of prosecution saying. oh they suck they should all go to hell. this is real this is legit there is. something going on there. that's not right there are some very. disturbing. facts that keep being brought to their. attention. because they're obviously not addressing. it which. leads to the belief that.

that it is a uh a command. atmosphere so you just want to get the. story out. you want everybody to know what happened. and maybe something will come of it well. i mean the sheriff was very very. very quick to go on tv and tell. everybody that the other guy was. surely innocent in this case which again. implies. that i'm surely guilty in this case.

so how is that innocent until proven. guilty he didn't even have a statement. from me. hell they didn't even know my background. they thought i was a career criminal. so you know part of it is. they need to do a better damn job and. they need to know that and nothing. makes people do their job correctly more. than public scrutiny. so thank you for having me here because. this will. definitely take another big step towards. bringing that.

light into a very dark place. i'm just sorry you're going through this. man i mean i love you. i [ __ ] hate seeing you go through. this. i know well i don't know but i see. the physical um. hurdles that it's caused and i see the. emotional stress. that you have from i mean from from. this happening and what potentially.

could happen and. i'm sorry man um is there anything. anybody can do to help. um well first of all thank you again. dude it's [ __ ]. love you guys both thank you so much for. letting me. tell this story because obviously this. is a lot to contend with. and deal with and process and uh. it's kind of [ __ ] up our whole life.

but as far as what can people do. i don't know man i don't know who's. watching. maybe there's somebody with federal. authority that can do something. [Music]. pam and i are starting over because like. you said we [ __ ] sold everything so. we could afford. a good attorney a real private. investigator who's good at what they do. we're gonna have to hire an expert. witness you know to prove.

that they [ __ ] some [ __ ] up pretty badly. when they did this so-called. investigation so. you know anybody that can help us get. real justice. based on the truth and the real facts. [ __ ] man please contact me please. contact. you you know get to me through whatever. if there's something that you have that. can legally be added to this. i'm all ears project.

well done i love you dude. youtube praying for you thanks man my. wife's praying for you. i know everybody watching this will be. praying for you and um. we'll be following you thank you. my player.

[Music]. you.