Last Wednesday DHS Federal Protective Service (FPS) showed up the VA Mission Valley Health Care Clinic in San Diego in 8 white vans in full combat dress that lacked any identification and, refusing to identify themselves, blocked all access to parking for disabled veterans. Veterans arriving for care were quite alarmed and some were frightened away.
According to a formal complaint filed with VA OIG, veterans on site were harassed and threatened when they took pictures and questioned what was happening. One veteran was even threatened with $10,000 fine and arrest if he didn’t delete a photo he took.
The exercise was for the purpose of “presence deterrence” at a VA health care facility in San Diego. Many veterans’ legal advocates are concerned about what this “presence deterrence” actually means and what it seeks to accomplish for veterans needing care.
Navy Captain Joseph John (Ret), chairman of Combat Veterans For Congress PAC, was not surprised when the report crossed his desk. After a cursory investigation, Capt. John concluded, “Due to [confidentiality] concerns, we can only get personnel in the office of Honoring Our Troops to tell us that the parties who witnessed the exercise [saw. The witnesses included] a retired Navy Chief, employees of the VA Medical Center, patients inside the building, etc., who witnessed armed FPS officers in SWAT gear walking up and down the corridors inside the VA Medical Clinic in Mission Valley.”
Capt. John opposes unannounced police actions at VA medical facilities that resemble “para-military exercises.” His deepest concerns are for elderly veterans with “heart conditions, suffering from PTSD, or elderly Veterans from the WWII or Korean era could be frightened and negatively affected by these [secret police] exercises in the middle of [their medical treatments].” For these reasons, Capt. John believes DHS and its FPS division “should be prevented from holding these para-military exercises at any VA medical Center,” especially during patient treatment and service times during the day.
Since the OIG complaint, HRT received numerous threatening calls to their organization’s volunteers by individuals whom they believed were VA or DHS employees. Callers blasted the organization saying, “VA does not need this type of exposure right now; bringing this up will not help veterans.” Other harassing calls threatened the staff with stalking and investigations into their own personal conduct. According to HRT, the calls were all blocked to hide the caller’s phone number.
A spokesman for the San Diego VA Regional Office, Alejandro Mendio la Flores,verified this FPS police action and stated it was part of Operation Shield for “presence deterrence.” VA claims the official count of FPS officers was only 8, and that the FPS does not owe VA any explanation for its actions or training exercises — even if it affects a VA medical facility or its patients. Nor does DHS-FPS have to give VA any advance notice that these exercises will occur or get VA’s permission to conduct them. Just what is going on here?
VA already has in place a “patient security flag” procedure under VHA Directive 2010-053. Even though this procedure is completely illegal and occurs in secret VAMC staff councils behind closed doors, it is nevertheless the main device VA has created to deal with security issues with any veterans who give them reason to be concerned for potential violent incidents. The VA-OIG made a rather shocking report about this illegal procedure just last year — and any lawyer or judge who reads it would be horrified at the blatant “due process” violations, since veterans cannot know who made the complaints about them or in any way have a chance to refute or defend against false allegations by VA staff. See OIG Report No. 11-02585-129, March 7, 2013.
I am a 76yr old civilian that takes vets to the VA hospital. I would have been terrified that our gov. could do something like this to men and women that fought for this country and our freedom. This gov. is totally out of control and most of the citizens don’t even notice. Shame on us. We are like sheep being led to slater.
Time to kick Obama and his administration to the curb. Now before it get any worse. Mass confusion they present while they slip something in and after it’s there it’s too late. We the people need to stand our ground and take back our country to what is was and not what they want it to be. Our country is starting to look like outher countries overseas. Not a good thing.
I guess that is why obummer is getting rid of the REAL officers and implementing his version of the gestapo/brown shirts/ ss………
If anyone posing as a supposed official refuses to show identification and attempts to arrest you without a warrant one is within their rights to take action. Shoot them mufukrs!
That is just wrong!!
This is been looked into this did not happen don’t believe everything you read on Facebook
Eric Patterson & Obama!!! No need to say any more. We are carrying our camera everywhere now. Don’t trust any government agency as far as you could throw them. Take note ….you are being watched folks!
DHS is out of control , or in control of the wrong hands.
Scary stuff…. is this Obama’s new army?
WTF? Who are these men who would work for FPS and go out and do this job? Didn’t they have grandfathers or fathers who were military men? Don’t they have a conscience? They are disgusting human beings with no heart or soul. Nothing means anything to anyone anymore. What a sad country we live in.