Dean Cummings went full-bore crazy

[MTT]

Wasn't the guy that Dean killed armed?

I guess that will all come out some day. It seemed the cops were not troubled with the fact that he shot a dude in his small trailer with a rifle. It was that he was being really sketchy about it. Landing himself in a mental hospital. This whole thread turns into how Waco and an asshole Dean Cummings is. Not much substance to the actual incident. Dean Cummings was a crazy asshole and he killed a dude with a gun. - Seems to be the consensus.

[TahoeJ]

Can we not cunt this thread up with BS? Every GD study ever has demonstrated clearly that more guns = more gun deaths. It’s not even debatable.

[MTT]

Can we not cunt this thread up with BS? Every GD study ever has demonstrated clearly that more guns = more gun deaths. It’s not even debatable.

Exactly. Lets not cunt this up with the crap you have posted repeatedly in several threads. This is not a gun thread. It's about A well know personality who has fallen on some very hard times. Earned or not.

[ill-advised strategy]

The last page of this thread is exhibit 1A on why I drift away from tgr. When I see this thread bumped, I have to read it in case there’s a development, but of course it’s now just another circle jerk debating gun politics.

Fucking lame you guys. Lame.

[MTT]

The last page of this thread is exhibit 1A on why I drift away from tgr. When I see this thread bumped, I have to read it in case there’s a development, but of course it’s now just another circle jerk debating gun politics.

Fucking lame you guys. Lame.

I am also curious, I wonder if by the time its all sorted out, anyone will care?
Don't know what to say about various personalities chiming in with a bit of character assassination at this time.

I was thinkin, I wonder what Dean thought about them back in the day?

[Core Shot]

This is what happens when gun control threads get moved to polyass.

I admit to clicking, thinking there was a dean update. But no. Just more cunting.

[glademaster]

I’m in AK right now skiing some of the terrain that used to be under Dean’s permit (the Schwan glacier, etc). From what I’ve heard around here, most tend to agree with Cody’s assessment.

Nobody who says things like that about a person who is completely incapable of addressing the accusations is worth the air they breathe. That is the epitome of a spineless POS taking a cheap shot.

[TahoeJ]

Nobody who says things like that about a person who is completely incapable of addressing the accusations is worth the air they breathe. That is the epitome of a spineless POS taking a cheap shot.

I'd suggest listening to the actual podcast. He's trying to be delicate about the situation but just spells out his experience.

https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/r...eb-2021-ep-162

[Danno]

This whole thread turns into how Waco and an asshole Dean Cummings is.

A thread titled "Dean Cummings went full-bore crazy" turns into how whacko he is? You don't say?

This is what happens when gun control threads get moved to polyass.

I admit to clicking, thinking there was a dean update. But no. Just more cunting.

What a load of tripe. If all the gun threads were not moved, you think these arguments would not have been posted here?

I agree with IAS and you that this is not the thread to debate gun politics, but the fact that it is being used for that has zero to do with where other gun threads are or are not.

[Dignity and Respect]

Agree that the majority of this evidence supports what you are saying (more guns -> more violence and deaths related to guns in high income countries) although most of it is retrospective, multivariate which shows association not necessarily causation. Prospective cohort studies are needed.

Interesting and excerpt out of the 2013 page 34,

“Whatever the evidence suggests about people with mental illness and violence—and for most there is no linkage—they are often portrayed as dangerous in the mass media and perceived as such by the general public (Pescosolido et al. 1999). Fear stokes avoidance and social rejection, which in turn beget discrimination. And if they are no longer “one of us,” coercion, loss of privacy, and unwarranted deprivation of liberty become easy to justify. Ironically, this alienates people with serious but treatable mental health conditions and encumbers their desire to seek help with worry about what that might entail. A public policy of categorical exclusion based on the presumed dangerous- ness of one group may serve the public interest but not without overreaching and not without social cost.“

I spent several months with Dean prior to him going off grid and filmed the youtube videos. I believe some of what he was saying is true. I think there is and was a great deal of corruption in the area of southern Alaska currently.

The first fabricated Domestic Violence (DV) records occurred 1/25/2017 and were dropped later. Dean was away educating in Avalanche Safety in CO 1/12-29/2017 - returned Valdez 2/1 or 2/2/2017) and you can see for yourself if you google several other youtube videos of his educational efforts in this time frame. He was never served properly either. (As he wasn’t even in Alaska and it was made up) The Valdez Police department did not give him any police records related to the event despite multiple requests. Then they got hacked and “lost” all records. The records would have shown it was made up and subsequent records that were made up in Illinois were based off of the first fabricated DV and he was reported armed and dangerous in Chicago. (Although he wasn’t there). The claims were that his ex- wife saw charges on their shares card and so she knew he must be in Chicago armed and dangerous. The charges didn’t happen until a week after the police report and second fabricated DV. All an effort to ruin and discredit him as a public figure and take his kids away from him which probably worsened his status.

As I pointed out (and posted audio of) with the former mayor of Valdez and hospital administrator of Providence Valdez, Dean sought help and was denied. Lame as hell. Next thing you know he shot someone in a scuffle.

I don’t know if Arriolla was armed but wouldn't be surprised. I think Dean was trying to buy his property and may have been living there prior. I am unsure if the AR was Dean’s or Arriola’s. I think Dean owned one in the past but thought it was taken when all his assets were seized to pay the ex wife’s legal fees. $900,000 worth of assets to pay ~ $300,000 in legal fees. (Still question this how was he to make a living)

[raisingarizona13]

Oh FFS, enough with the gun rights/control arguments.

Thanks Tahoe J for the podcast link. I meant to ask for that earlier then I forgot. I feel the same as Cody on the Kings and Queens, happy to hear about the latest on filming on public lands and love the talk on the rebirth of mom and pop ski area experience and back country ski areas. Also I like the idea of making "DAD skiing" cool again. Skiing shouldn't only be death defying or insane gymnastics to be marketable. Cool shit. I haven't got to the Dean part yet.

[k2skier112]

Dean shot someone with a gun, of course the topic of guns will come up. Are all gun fahgs this sensitive?

[tetzen]

Dean shot someone with a gun, of course the topic of guns will come up. Are all gun fahgs this sensitive?

Seriously. We get a mass shooting and they complain we only care about the mass shootings and not suicides or single incidents. And oh what about Chicago? We get a single isolated incident from a noteworthy person in the skiing community, and they suddenly complain we shouldn't be bringing guns into this discussion. The 2A fundamentalists are the type of person that's never gonna be happy.

Anyways, it will be interesting to see how this case falls out. From the sounds of it Dean may have talked himself into a shitty corner with how he carried himself on that day.

[bennymac]

Agree that the majority of this evidence supports what you are saying (more guns -> more violence and deaths related to guns in high income countries) although most of it is retrospective, multivariate which shows association not necessarily causation. Prospective cohort studies are needed.

Interesting and excerpt out of the 2013 page 34,

“Whatever the evidence suggests about people with mental illness and violence—and for most there is no linkage—they are often portrayed as dangerous in the mass media and perceived as such by the general public (Pescosolido et al. 1999). Fear stokes avoidance and social rejection, which in turn beget discrimination. And if they are no longer “one of us,” coercion, loss of privacy, and unwarranted deprivation of liberty become easy to justify. Ironically, this alienates people with serious but treatable mental health conditions and encumbers their desire to seek help with worry about what that might entail. A public policy of categorical exclusion based on the presumed dangerous- ness of one group may serve the public interest but not without overreaching and not without social cost.“

I spent several months with Dean prior to him going off grid and filmed the youtube videos. I believe some of what he was saying is true. I think there is and was a great deal of corruption in the area of southern Alaska currently.

The first fabricated Domestic Violence (DV) records occurred 1/25/2017 and were dropped later. Dean was away educating in Avalanche Safety in CO 1/12-29/2017 - returned Valdez 2/1 or 2/2/2017) and you can see for yourself if you google several other youtube videos of his educational efforts in this time frame. He was never served properly either. (As he wasn’t even in Alaska and it was made up) The Valdez Police department did not give him any police records related to the event despite multiple requests. Then they got hacked and “lost” all records. The records would have shown it was made up and subsequent records that were made up in Illinois were based off of the first fabricated DV and he was reported armed and dangerous in Chicago. (Although he wasn’t there). The claims were that his ex- wife saw charges on their shares card and so she knew he must be in Chicago armed and dangerous. The charges didn’t happen until a week after the police report and second fabricated DV. All an effort to ruin and discredit him as a public figure and take his kids away from him which probably worsened his status.

As I pointed out (and posted audio of) with the former mayor of Valdez and hospital administrator of Providence Valdez, Dean sought help and was denied. Lame as hell. Next thing you know he shot someone in a scuffle.

I don’t know if Arriolla was armed but wouldn't be surprised. I think Dean was trying to buy his property and may have been living there prior. I am unsure if the AR was Dean’s or Arriola’s. I think Dean owned one in the past but thought it was taken when all his assets were seized to pay the ex wife’s legal fees. $900,000 worth of assets to pay ~ $300,000 in legal fees. (Still question this how was he to make a living)

Thanks for posting - these unfortunate stories require both (all) sides to even get a hint of what might of occurred.

With regards to the audio - while it does suggest he was denied local care it doesn't explain what was the reasoning. To make an extreme argument you can’t expect a village of 100 people to have local mental health care resources suitable for treating the worst psychopaths ever. There are limitations based on geography, budget, and local professional resources.

And the mental health care has to be safe and appropriate both for the patient and the staff. If a doctor feels threatened by a patient they can end that relationship for example. Same goes for a counselor.

All to say that if he was denied access to local care it could be due to “corruption” or it could be due to very valid reasons.

In small rural/remote areas with limited resources it’s often one of two available options: counseling for minor mental health issues or “ unwarranted deprivation of liberty” by stripping the person of their rights, sedating them, and putting them in a mental hospital for stabilization. A lot of people are “too much” for that counseling to help but are not unhealthy enough (or just haven’t committed an obvious offense) for the extreme response.

To get to the bottom of why he was being denied care would require lawyers and courts and professional organizations to investigate the medical records (which are otherwise gonna be confidential).

[bennymac]

This is what happens when gun control threads get moved to polyass.

I admit to clicking, thinking there was a dean update. But no. Just more cunting.

That’s rich coming from Captain Threadcunter.

[Dhelihiker]

Dean shot someone with a gun, of course the topic of guns will come up. Are all gun fahgs this sensitive?

So you are anti guns and homophobic. I think most folks understand that the guns are already here. If you take them from the law abiding citizens then only the criminals will have them. Keep the blame culture alive.

[jackattack]

So you are anti guns and homophobic. I think most folks understand that the guns are already here. If you take them from the law abiding citizens then only the criminals will have them. Keep the blame culture alive.

So in this example is Dean Cummings the “law abiding citizen” or the “criminal”?

It’s not blame culture, it’s reality.

[Meadow Skipper]

So you are anti guns and homophobic. I think most folks understand that the guns are already here. If you take them from the law abiding citizens then only the criminals will have them. Keep the blame culture alive.

STFU. That stupid fucking line has no place in this discussion.

[jackstraw]

STFU. That stupid fucking line has no place in this discussion.

Hahaha! Seconded! A "line" from the morans!

[k2skier112]

So you are anti guns and homophobic. I think most folks understand that the guns are already here. If you take them from the law abiding citizens then only the criminals will have them. Keep the blame culture alive.

Nope. I own guns, like shooting guns. Don't want guns taken away. All guns need to be registered and all guns owners must have annual mental exams.
Think of all the jobs this would create...people with mental issues would get help and we'd all be safer, win-win

[Dignity and Respect]

Thanks for posting - these unfortunate stories require both (all) sides to even get a hint of what might of occurred.

With regards to the audio - while it does suggest he was denied local care it doesn't explain what was the reasoning. To make an extreme argument you can’t expect a village of 100 people to have local mental health care resources suitable for treating the worst psychopaths ever. There are limitations based on geography, budget, and local professional resources.

And the mental health care has to be safe and appropriate both for the patient and the staff. If a doctor feels threatened by a patient they can end that relationship for example. Same goes for a counselor.

All to say that if he was denied access to local care it could be due to “corruption” or it could be due to very valid reasons.

In small rural/remote areas with limited resources it’s often one of two available options: counseling for minor mental health issues or “ unwarranted deprivation of liberty” by stripping the person of their rights, sedating them, and putting them in a mental hospital for stabilization. A lot of people are “too much” for that counseling to help but are not unhealthy enough (or just haven’t committed an obvious offense) for the extreme response.

To get to the bottom of why he was being denied care would require lawyers and courts and professional organizations to investigate the medical records (which are otherwise gonna be confidential).

The audio I posted was Dean and I on our own phones (April 2018) and Dean was at the Providence Valdez Counseling Center with Jeremy O’Neil who is a hospital administrator for that hospital. I had recorded the conversation which was legal to do given our locations. He came in quickly on a day off to meet Dean when Dean was trying to schedule an appointment. Jeremy O’Neil became Mayor of Valdez shortly thereafter. There were multiple (3-4) counselors (I think at least one psychiatrist- unsure though) at the center. Dean had also been asked to complete some mental health tests per court order from Judge Jennifer Henderson during their divorce proceedings. Jeremy claimed there was a conflict of interest and that Dean couldn’t be treated there in his hometown Mental Health Center. I noted there were several staff there and that it is odd that there would be a conflict of interest with all of them. The next nearest center to Valdez is Anchorage (about 5-6 hrs away in good weather by car). I believe and at that time (probably still now) that kind of testing would have needed to be in person. It wasn’t feasible. I hear many people say he should have got help and you can see this in the Devon O’Neil story. His ex-wife friends etc. At any time, any of them could have had him committed if they believed he was a potential threat to safety to himself and or others yet none of them did that. Maybe a few tried. The town of Valdez isn’t a town of a few hundred. It is around 3,900.

So many were saying he was violent at the time and they were concerned and he needed help but no one forced the issue. Providence and Jeremy definitely didn’t help the situation. So Dean seeks help and is denied and really the next major thing you see is that he has killed someone and hindsight is twenty twenty and many said I saw that coming. The response from the Providence Lawyer “This matter is being reviewed and a written explanation will be furnished. Thanks, Eric

This is response from Providence Attorney about why you were refused treatment.” I don’t believe that they provided Dean any subsequent reasons nor did Jeremy provide him any reason regarding the conflict of interest. Dean was blocked on almost every angle in anything he wanted to do. He couldn’t get phone records he couldn’t get police records couldn’t get medical records for him or his kids.

There are obviously not enough Mental health resources in general in the US and those afflicted are even more hesitant to seek services that may make them labeled or make their life more difficult - especially when going through a tumultuous divorce where all kinds of shit was already made up about you. But it is even more tragic when he tried to get services which were available and likely would have helped and was declined for no good reason and this could have been headed off before any harm occurred. It is seriously BS that you have Jeremy analogizing mental health services as being similar to taking a ride in Dean’s helicopter 🚁. I think it puts Providence at risk for a suit as this dust settles for being partially responsible. I think a lot of this was set up to ensure Dean was ejected from the community. The Swierks calling the police over 100 times for noise ordinances and other petty BS after Dean and Karen had taken them under their wings and helped train them, sold them land to live and operate on, many trade secrets and operation plans just stolen and copied over all to have them turn against each other. Toxic.

[AKPogue]

Nope. I own guns, like shooting guns. Don't want guns taken away. All guns need to be registered and all guns owners must have annual mental exams.
Think of all the jobs this would create...people with mental issues would get help and we'd all be safer, win-win

So you'd want your guns taken away from you due to your obvious mental issues?

[bennymac]

Thanks for the extra context. Yes I’ve been to Valdez and Anchorage - I wasn’t trying to imply Valdez is a small village - as I said I was just concocting an extreme example.

3900 people might be too small to sustain a psychiatrist - but that’s just me guessing - maybe one traveled there from Anchorage for periodic visits.

The use of “conflict of interest” as a reason to deny care is very weird. To be clear my example of a person being denied care due to the staff feeling unsafe in their presence is not “a conflict of interest”.

Every story has at least 2 sides. And in mental health care you will usually only hear one side - the patient’s side - because the other side is bound by confidentiality. The public will understandably view this silence as incriminating of guilt - but those same people would sue in an instant if their own medical information were released to the public - even if that release defended the actions of the system and refuted the claims of the patient. I can go to the media and say “the hospital mistreated me!” and when asked for comment the hospital is forced to say “no comment” - and the public is like “a-ha! They’re hiding something!”

But to circle back to the facts of this particular situation the idea of “conflict of interest” hints that the reasons for denial of care may be business related and not for the safety of the staff or Dean (safety being he needs a higher level of care than what is available in Valdez). If true that is damning.

[Dignity and Respect]

Thanks for the extra context. Yes I’ve been to Valdez and Anchorage - I wasn’t trying to imply Valdez is a small village - as I said I was just concocting an extreme example.

3900 people might be too small to sustain a psychiatrist - but that’s just me guessing - maybe one traveled there from Anchorage for periodic visits.

The use of “conflict of interest” as a reason to deny care is very weird. To be clear my example of a person being denied care due to the staff feeling unsafe in their presence is not “a conflict of interest”.

Every story has at least 2 sides. And in mental health care you will usually only hear one side - the patient’s side - because the other side is bound by confidentiality. The public will understandably view this silence as incriminating of guilt - but those same people would sue in an instant if their own medical information were released to the public - even if that release defended the actions of the system and refuted the claims of the patient. I can go to the media and say “the hospital mistreated me!” and when asked for comment the hospital is forced to say “no comment” - and the public is like “a-ha! They’re hiding something!”

But to circle back to the facts of this particular situation the idea of “conflict of interest” hints that the reasons for denial of care may be business related and not for the safety of the staff or Dean (safety being he needs a higher level of care than what is available in Valdez). If true that is damning.

Thanks for the clarification. Makes good sense and I agree. I spent a good amount of time with Dean in 2018 and 2019 so from his vantage, I can absolutely see how many of the surrounding issues only intensified the feelings of corruption against him etc. I believe there was a lot going on behind the scenes and am not denying that he may have had some baseline mental health diagnoses. However, I also would absolutely not be surprised if toxins were purposely introduced to him at varying times which may have actually perpetuated and again magnified his concerns for that. To my knowledge, he had multiple life insurance policies and they amounted to at least $10 million. Just saying there was plenty of motive and also numerous instances where He stayed very clear symptoms and chronological exposure may have occurred and the surrounding circumstances were suspect to say the absolute least. Many poisons are readily available and there are cases in the press about this all the time - boric acid, arsenic, nerve agents, volatiles, heavy metals, organophosphates/pesticides, etc. The cases are pretty hard to prove unless someone is caught red handed on camera etc. If you spent any time with him in AK, there were all too constant scents of paint thinner/hydrocarbons/benzenes/toluenes smells in his Best Western rooms, in his vehicle, on his helicopter headset microphone etc. Long term exposure even by inhalation of those substances can have serious effects. Best Western wasn’t painting anything at the time or remodeling anything. We would move his rooms- no scent in the new room. Later the scent would appear a day or two later. Similar circumstances occurred multiple times with details I won’t go into here. But saying he did have some baseline issues, that certainly only worsened things. It also worsened his concern for his safety.

When he was going through some of the toughest of this, I would put things in one of three bins probable but need proof, possible but need proof, and maybe mental health/psychosis and too far out there. The issue is things started to occur that were in the last bin that I had already put in the psychosis bin right in front of both of us that really remain unexplained. So circling back to your point, I think the truth with Dean is that things were somewhere in the middle. I believe his ex may have shifted considerable assets prior to all this going down, employees likely were stealing from him, and his civil rights were definitely broken by the Valdez Police department and Judge Daniel Schally with some of the made up crap such as the initial DV when he was in CO and then the subsequent DV in Chicago Illinois when he was no where around. There was a $68,000 check that a mail fraud investigator discovered from Price Funding to Dean Cummings or Evan Olson in Utah as related to his H20 gear company. Where did that money come from and where was it going? Dean couldn’t recover it. Mass cash flow would occur for H20 in a short seasonal time frame of $800,000-$1,000,000 (from what I recall). He had money for endorsements/sponsorships/films the 37 or 38 acre development. Where did this money go? Dean doesn’t have it I can tell you that. He may have a very small amount left but it went somewhere.

And I still don’t get the entire let’s make him pay the highest amount of child support in Alaskan history despite his ex-wife making more on paper then him, but then the judge confiscates and sells all his assets so he couldn’t make a living anyhow to pay child support. He was placed in a no win situation. Did he have some responsibility for his position? For sure I am not denying that. Just saying there were a lot of other forces purposely aligned to make him leave Alaska and lose the permit so others could gain access to that terrain and to ensure his business was buried. Legally, his children were kidnapped. No DV was in place when the mother fled the state without permission. How much of this worsened his mental state of being? He was crushed to not be able to see his kids. Being around my kids was just a reminder to him of how much he missed his kids. He didn’t spend several birthdays and Christmas’ with them all based on made up events for the most part. I know he has his enemies and several of them were glad to see this happen to him. But I can say no man deserved what he got if they actually witnessed how things occurred.

[bennymac]

Wow this is extremely complicated (that's not news to you I know). Everyone here knows someone with mental health issues. Everyone here also knows people who are kinda assholes. I never met DC nor have I likely met anyone who has met him - so I can't and won't comment on his personality and health issues specifically.

But even if a person has mental health issues and/or is a bit of an asshole that doesn't mean they deserve corrupt treatment - from other family members, competing business interests, government officials. And mental health issues could expose someone to exploitation if people have illicit motives for gain - these people are vulnerable for sure. Elderly people are under the same risk because people with bad motives can try to label them incompetent and gain from that - including family members sadly.

I feel the worst for his kids - what an incredibly challenging upbringing. They likely viewed their Dad as a hero - they will carry scars from this from life.