Sarah Palin's Son, Domestic Violence, PTSD, Second Chance

When the veteran of the Iraq war, Track Palin, the eldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was arrested for the first time in 2016, his mother suggested that his attack on his girlfriend "consequences of PTSD. "

At the time, Sarah Palin's words aroused limited sympathy. Groups of veterans have strongly criticized him for apparently attempting to blame the post-traumatic stress disorder alleged by his son's violence, Foreign Policy reported.

The groups also believed that she was using a serious mental health problem to divert her son's responsibilities while she was threatening the presidential candidate Donald Trump. In addition, they do not appreciate that the former vice-presidential candidate of the GOP seems to reinforce the stereotype of the violent and psychologically unstable veteran, Foreign Policy added.

Comments on Sarah Palin's PTSD could take on a new urgency after the arrest of 29-year-old Track Palin on Friday night for the third time on charges of domestic violence, this time for allegedly assaulting a female acquaintance.

Palin's latest arrest may also raise questions as to whether the son of a high-ranking political figure had sufficient consequences for his previous affairs. In addition to his three arrests, court records show that his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend claimed that he was violent when they applied for a no-contact order against him in 2017.

Until his arrest, Track Palin was supposed to improve his situation thanks to a special court program in Alaska for veterans suffering from mental health problems or drug addiction.

In June, Track Palin was referred to the Alaskan Veterans Court as part of an agreement on his second arrest in December 2017, accused of beating his father Todd Palin at his parents home. Wasilla, a suburb of Anchorage Daily. News reported.

Track Palin was able to avoid a year in prison for this attack by agreeing to enroll in a Veterans Court approved therapy program, which includes regular consultations, court appearances and drug tests.

Sarah Palin and other family members have not commented on the latest arrest of Track Palin, according to E! New. In fact, they were busy this weekend celebrating the wedding of his 24-year-old sister, Willow, to Ricky Bailey. Sarah Palin and other people posted happy family photos at the classy reception.

While Sarah Palin may have blamed his son's active service in Iraq in 2008 for his problems, press reports and recordings of his arrest suggest that he has long struggled with an unstable temperament before he join the army after high school.

Track was a top-level hockey player at the highly competitive Wasilla High School, but also prone to pushing the boundaries in a raw sport, the New York Times reported shortly after his mother was nominated as a running candidate from John McCain in 2008.

Track was often fired from games and was known as "an animal on the ice," the Times reported. In The Times story, it's hard to tell if Sarah and Todd Palin are worried about her mood. Above all, they have been described as proud of his popularity with his teammates and his student.

After suffering a shoulder injury, Track Palin decided not to attempt to obtain a scholarship to play hockey at the university, the Times reported. Instead, he joined the army.

Track Palin had been in Iraq for about a year, part of the Stryker Brigade's 1st Combat Team, when his mother was chosen to be John McCain's vice-president, the Washington Post reported. He was released in 2010 and returned to Alaska. He married Britta Hanson in 2011, and both became parents of a girl, but they filed for divorce the following year, while he was working as a professional fisherman, reported TMZ.

In 2014, a Track Palin, apparently shirtless and drunk, was a central figure in an alcohol-fueled brawl at a party his family attended, reported Anchorage Daily News. During the fight, which involved about 20 people and attracted police attention, Track Palin reportedly clashed with Willow's ex-boyfriend, his other sister Bristol Palin allegedly hit someone at face, Todd Palin would have had the bloody nose and Sarah Palin shouted: "You do not know who I am!

Track Palin's first arrest for spousal abuse occurred on January 18, 2016. He was living with his parents when his girlfriend of the time, Jordan Loewe, called the police to tell him that he was there. Had hit his face and threatened to shoot himself in the head. -15 rifle, the Washington Post reported. Loewe then gave birth to their son and briefly tried to reconcile with him, according to the Daily Mail.

The arrest of Track Palin in 2016 occurred at an untimely time for his mother. The next day, she had to give his approval to Donald Trump. During a speech in Trump's favor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, several days later, Sarah Palin declared that she wanted to recognize "the elephant in the room," reported Foreign Policy.

While not specifically saying that Track Palin had been diagnosed with PTSD, the former governor referred to "the injury with which our soldiers return". She also said, "My son, like so many others – they come back a little different.

Veterans did not appreciate Sarah Palin's comments. According to a 2010 study, they especially thought that it was distorting the reality of PTSD, which would affect 4 to 17% of war veterans in Iraq.

"We have Sarah Palin here who is screaming about PTSD and she is talking about it in an extremely harmful context," Brandon Friedman told Foreign Policy. He is a veteran of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan and the author of the memoir "The War I Have Always Wanted".

"(Palin) basically says," Of course, my son is beating his girlfriend because he has post-traumatic stress disorder, like all veterans. "Friedman said.

While the US Department of Veterans Affairs has stated on its website that PTSD is associated with an increase in violence, it added that the majority of veterans and non-veterans with PTSD have never committed violence.

Veterans' Courts have been created in US counties to help defendants who have served in the military avoid jail time and get help with mental health or mental health issues. substance addiction. According to the court system in Alaska, these therapeutic courts are not seen as an "easy fix" but as an alternative model to encourage people to take charge of their lives.

After his arrest in 2016, Track Palin had his first chance to improve through the Veterans Court, reported Anchorage Daily News.

If Track Palin completed the program, which usually includes "a significant time commitment" in counseling, court appearance and drug testing, he could possibly see the charges reduced or dismissed, said the coordinator. of the program at the Anchorage Daily News.

But Track Palin chose not to continue the program, citing labor disputes, according to the Daily News. He nevertheless pleaded guilty to committing an offense related to the use of a firearm, but saw his 30-day jail sentence suspended.

Track Palin was also sentenced to two years of probation. He was still on probation when he was arrested in December 2017. According to a police affidavit quoted by the Washington Post, Sarah Palin called the police to report that her son was at home "panicked and taking medication." find Track Palin moving erratically in the house and Todd Palin bleeding from the head.

Around the same time, his ex-wife, Britta Hanson, accused him of having attacked their daughter and asked for a court order preventing her from approaching her. 39 them, reported the Daily Mail, citing judicial records.

Palin's ex-girlfriend, Loewe, an alleged victim of the 2016 affair, also granted an interview to the Daily Mail, claiming that he had continued to be violent when he had briefly tried to get himself to reconcile after the birth of his son. She had also sought a restraining order against her, according to court records.

"I think he has a lot of problems – not just instability, but a lot of mental health issues that have never been addressed," Loewe told the Daily Mail. "I think there is a bit of PTSD, but that's not the main problem. There are a lot of problems and that may only make things worse. It's the same with alcohol, it exacerbates it.

Loewe also questioned Sarah Palin's claims that Track's experience in wartime had changed her, and said that she and Todd Palin did not like her talking about their son's problems.

"Nothing is really an excuse," Loewe said. "I did not know Track before entering the army, but his friends and family said he had anger and violence issues all his life. The army has probably worsened the situation, just as alcohol makes it worse. "

Track Palin received another blow to Veterans Court last June, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Originally charged with criminal burglary and assault for the 2017 incident with his father, Track Palin was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of criminal mischief.

By joining the Veterans Court, he also had the opportunity to avoid a one-year prison sentence. Just last week, Track Palin was photographed mopping the floor at a Salvation Army thrift store as part of the community work program of the Veterans Court. , reported the Daily Mail.

But on Friday night, Alaskan soldiers fought back in a house in Wasilla where they discovered that Track Palin had been drinking and assaulting a female acquaintance, the Washington Post reported. Track Palin also took her phone when she tried to call the police and resisted her arrest, the police said.