Related story- 13 news Houston https://abc13.com/5321443
I want to introduce you all to Kami Heard Whitten and Richard Whitten
Deputy Richard Whitten is the Liberty County Deputy that was shot by an active shooter on May 29, 2019. He is paralyzed from the neck down, although he has some movement in one arm.
Upon exiting his vehicle he immediately came under fire and was shot multiple times. He was air lifted by LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann. He was moved to TIRR after a few months, as it took that long to get him stable enough to begin the process of learning to exist....paralyzed.
I have been with the family since the 2nd day he was in the hospital and worked side by side with Kami Whitten. I’ve never seen such horrible treatment in my life of a family of an officer shot and CATASTROPHICALLY injured in the line of duty, by an insurance company as this. It pains me to advise all of my friends and family that the insurance...workman’s comp, in this “self insured” county has DENIED coverage for a handicapped van for this hero.
So that everyone understands....there is two parts to a handicapped van. The van itself and the conversion part. The van is one price. The conversion is another price....and it’s expensive.
I’ve been working with the 100 Club to pay for the van itself, which has been approved. A huge thanks goes out to The 100 Club.
Now it’s time for the insurance to pay for the conversion to the van to make it accessible.....The insurance asked for a breakdown of every single item on the van, down to the radio....it was given to them by the great people at Adaptive Driving Access. That part is normal.
The insurance came back to the family with the “items” they approved and stated some things would not be covered, such as the FLOOR. But thankfully they approved the doors on the vehicle 🤷🏼♀️....
We have all tried to explain to the adjusters that this is the way the van comes from the contractor who puts all of this “accessibility” in the van....their name is BraunAbility. You can’t take out the seat...because no one would be able to drive him.
I saw an email from The 100 Club advising the insurance company that this was the FIRST time they had seen an insurance company do this to an officer...and asked the insurance company to please reconsider helping this officer.
WHY ARE WE HAVING TO BEG? Why do we have to put another wife through this nonsense? She has been through enough!
I have posted a link to Deputy Whitten’s GoFundMe. Please give what you can, as it appears this family is going to have to pay for their own DME. When we are shot and paralyzed in the line of duty, we should be able to depend on our respective departments to take care of us. This is beyond disturbing. I’m begging Liberty County Sheriffs Department to please step in and help your own deputy.
Please help me...to help this law enforcement family! They need us now more than ever...
I’m hoping the media will pick up on this and reach out to us to help this family! In the mean time....everyone can send an email to the Sheriff Bobby Rader and ask him to please wake up and help his own officer get the handicapped van he DESERVES! Do what you do friends
bobby.rader@co.liberty.tx.us
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