A Texas father is out of jail after having a standoff with SWAT team officers in order to save his son’a life.
George Pickering III, was declared “brain dead” and the hospital placed the decision in pulling the plug into the hands of Pickering’s ex-wife. When the hospital approved a “terminal wean” — which means slowly removes life support — his father felt hopeless.
George said, “I felt hopeless. They were moving too fast. The hospital, the nurses, the doctors.”
Pickering grabbed a gun and threatened the staff, demanding access to see his son. He was desperately trying to halt the process, Pickering said he was certain there was still life in his son and needed time alone with him.
“I knew if I had three or four hours that night that I would know whether George was brain dead,” Pickering said.
George was finally disarmed by his other son, but then he told the cops he had a second weapon and barricaded himself in with George III as SWAT team officers negotiated with him.
George II said, “During that three hours, George squeezed my hand three or four times on command.”
His desperation strategy worked. While Pickering locked himself in his son’s room, he felt his son squeeze his hand several times on command. When it was confirmed that his son was responsive and wasn’t brain dead,Pickering peacefully surrendered.
The father was arrested but it was all for a good cause, because he was able to stop staff members from pulling the plug and his son slowly came back.
The father was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but one was later dismissed and the other lessened to a state jail felony. “This case has always been about a father protecting his son, when his son couldn’t protect himself,” Pickering’s lawyer Phoebe Smith said.
Upon hearing what his father did for him, George II was moved. He said, “The important thing is I’m alive and well, my father is home and we’re together again.”
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