I’m overwhelmed when I read a story like this, for everyone involved. For the girlfriend whose life was threatened by someone she cared about; for the prosecutor who expressed sympathy for Roberts, but needed to be tough; for the friend who held Roberts as he cried; and, of course, for Roberts himself for reasons that go without saying.
They drank wine together and watched military videos on his laptop computer, the friend told police. He said Roberts was alternately upset and intense.
“He started crying at times and saying that some of these people had fallen and I held him while he cried and tried to console him,” he told police. Roberts told him he was afraid he might hurt someone. The friend talked Roberts into going out for coffee.
Police, who had surrounded the building, saw Roberts and his friend leave and ordered them to the ground at gunpoint.
McKinney [the girlfriend] later told police that Roberts has issues with civilian society and experiences flashbacks from Iraq. He recently told her he doesn’t trust himself. She said he needs professional help for mental health issues but refuses to see anyone.
