95 Year Old Veteran Refuses to Go to the Hospital, So Police Shoot and Kill Him

John Wrana was considered "a flirt" and "always in good humor" by his friends. So needless to say, it came as a shock to hear that fun-loving man who looked forward to playing cards was shot and killed in his room by police.

John Wrana, a 95-year old World War II veteran who was suffering from a urinary tract infection, and did not want to go to the hospital for treatment. So, according to the report in HealthImpactNews.com:

"Mr. Wrana refused to go, so the paramedics reportedly called the police, who showed up in riot gear. Staff from the managed care facility reportedly were upset that the police did not allow them access to Mr. Wrana to try and calm him down."

Police showed up to a nursing home in full riot gear to deal with a 95-year old man with a urinary tract infection, as if there were an uprising by inmates in a prison.

"When Mr. Wrana continued to refuse transport to the hospital, they shot him with a stun gun. He still refused, so they reportedly shot him in the stomach with a bean bag round from a shot gun – three times. He was reportedly sitting down at the time, and friends have testified that Mr. Wrana was so wobbly on his feet that he needed a walker, and could be pushed down easily with little force he was so unstable."

There's no information as to how many riot-geared police officers were crammed into Mr. Wrana's nursing home room, but I'm sure one of them could have kept him from getting up out of his chair and posing a threat. If a sickly 95-year old could possibly do so.

Police said Mr. Wrana was threatening them with a shoe horn and that he was waving a butcher knife at them. A knife that nobody but police saw, and that his friends claim he never possessed, and never had a reason to keep. The knife has not been found.

Here's video of friends reflecting on the life of Mr. Wrana, and discussing the incident, which still has them puzzled:

The coroner's office has determined that Mr. Wrana's death was due to internal bleeding from blunt force trauma, and have ruled it a homicide.

Meanwhile, this story sickens me. There are other stories regarding mistreatment of the elderly, and there's no explanation that is going to sit well with me. The fact that this incident involved a police force in riot gear makes it surreal, practically unbelievable and, most of all, completely inexcusable. I will certainly be following the fate of the officers involved, with the hopes that Mr. Wrana's death - at the very least - helped keep some officers who made a terrible decision from ever wearing a police uniform again.