Dad charged with entering son's school and taking superintendent hostage at gunpoint (Blauvelt, New York)

Dad PETER COCKER was apparently intoxicated when he rushed into his son's middle school and held the superintendent at gunpoint. He was supposedly upset because the superintendent sent out a health department form letter on swine flu, and Dad wanted the schools closed or something like that. But Dad claims a reaon for his erratic criminal behavior: he has post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I know a lot of people who have PTSD to varying degrees, but I don't know that any of them held somebody hostage at gunpoint over a form letter. I also don't know many who get a full disability pension and don't have to work, but I digress.

If Dad is like this in public, I wonder what he's like at home?

http://www.lohud.com/article/20090901/NEWS03/909010386

Father says PTSD caused him to enter school with gun
By Steve Lieberman • September 1, 2009

Peter Cocker today informed the court that he will offer a psychiatric defense to charges he rushed into South Orangetown Middle School armed and held the superintendent at gunpoint before being disarmed.

The Tappan father suffers from post traumatic stress disorder from years as a New York City police officer, his lawyer, Gerard Damiani, said after a court appearance at the Rockland County Courthouse in New City.

Cocker became agitated June 9 after his son collapsed on the baseball field and he felt his boy had swine flu symptoms , Damiani said.

He also had been drinking alcohol heavily, a form of self-medication resulting from post traumatic stress, Damiani said.

Cocker became angry at Schools Superintendent Kenneth Mitchell for sending out a Rockland Health Department form letter on swine flu precautions, authorities said. Cocker wanted the letter changed and the schools closed. The boy attends the middle school.

Damiani said he intends to argue that Cocker was not criminally responsible and his actions were "part and parcel of post traumatic stress disorder."

The medical records partially covers Cocker employment as a New York City police officer from August 1993 until his retirement on a disability pension in April 2004, Damiani said.

Prosecutor Richard Kennison Moran opposed the filing of a psychiatric defense at this point because he argued Damiani failed to meet the law's requirements.

Moran told the judge that Damiani was being "vague" in describing specifics of Cocker's supposed mental defect.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bartlett didn't comment on Moran's objection and set dates for pre-trial motions and scheduled Cocker's next court appearance for Sept. 29.

Bartlett had discussed the motion and case with both lawyers during a bench conference.
Cocker, 37, faces five to 25 years in prison on the top count of the indictment - second-degree kidnapping.

A grand jury also charged him with first-degree criminal use of a firearm, second-degree burglary, third-degree burglary, first-degree coercion and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.