Photographer out of hospital after "suicide by cop" bid (McCusker/NOLA) [View All]

[uppityperson]

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/newswire/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003019216

Times-Picayune Photographer John McCusker Out Of Hospital

August 17, 2006

By Daryl Lang

New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer John McCusker was released from the hospital this week and will face four criminal charges related to his confrontation with police two weeks ago, according to his editor.

McCusker feels embarrassed about what happened and grateful for the people who supported him, says photo editor Doug Parker, who spoke to McCusker earlier this week. "He's in very good spirits," Parker says.

McCusker had been under psychiatric evaluation since Aug. 8, when he provoked police officers in what was described as an attempted "suicide by cop." McCusker, a life-long New Orleans resident, was apparently depressed over being unable to get enough insurance money to rebuild his house, which was destroyed in the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina last year.

He is now home and has been talking to friends. "He sounds like the John we know," says Bridget O'Brian, who spoke to McCusker Thursday. O'Brian is a former Picayune reporter and founder of Friends of the Times-Picayune, a fund to help employees of the newspaper....(more@link, including report of money raised to help him).

Cross posted to Hurricane Survivors Group and here in GD to get more coverage. Link to article of his suicide attempt here- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/us/10orleans.html?ex=1156219200&en=e9e2fa42ceb68add&ei=5070