Don't joke about offing yourself or the GM will send the cops

[ahi]

Wow, I wonder if the kid was scammed for a spectral tiger
http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/12/31/fe123108falsealarm.html

[Iceorbz]

When I was a guide for EQ, if we got a suicide threat... we had to inform a senior GM, *IMMEDIATELY* we werent to log off or stop talking to the person. And they would also inform authorities.

[Tsunami]

it's interesting how suicide is a crime, it's the only crime they cannot punish you for if you are successful.

[Shaitan256]

Your family won't get the life Insurance money, Punishment enough? ^^ (hope that was the right word xD)

[PyrostasisTDK]

it's interesting how suicide is a crime, it's the only crime they cannot punish you for if you are successful.yeah that is an interesting point. If someone is suicidal to the point of legitimately voicing it, then they need help... slapping them with jail time probably isnt the best remedy for that kind of mental condition.

Although in this case the kid was just trying to get a freebee, He deserves a public beat down.

[jettzypher]

im sure some of you all saw this, but some kid on bodyduiling.com made a post that he was gonna do himself in via webcam. people didnt believe him and even egged him on. some people took it seriously and tried callin the police, which said they werent gonna look into it. after enough calls had been made to the local police however, they ended up goin to the dudes place to check it out. sure enough, he had taken a bunch of pills and OD'ed.

if its one thing the military beats into your head, its that suicide isnt a joke. and theres always tell tale signs of people that are serious. i agree that sending someone to jail cause theyre suicidal may be a bad option. but most of the time it really isnt. there isnt much in a prison cell to kill yourself with and youre being watched. also, if they do put someone there, its been determined that theyre probably not actually suicidal (like the case of this kid saying he was jokin).

imo, he deserves w/e he gets.

[homerjunior]

Maybe I read it wrong but werent the police sent to stop him killing himself they only arrested him because it was a "prank". On a weirder note in Australia most life insurance plans cover suicide 13 months after the plan was taken out.

[Drizzit]

They should trail him as an adult (he is 17 so it is close)... What will end up by happening is that the parents will try to sue blizzard.

[jdpatt]

Suicide (or its attempt, for that matter) is very rarely prosecuted; I've been a cop in Detroit for 13 years and have never heard of a case going to trial.

While it is illegal, I think the biggest reason that it is is both as a declaration by society that life is sacred (ignore whatever irony you may find in that statement), and as a means for authorities to take action. The "action" taken is usually to force the person to seek psychological treatment.

What the police and EMS usually do on a run to an attempted suicide (or even threats or reasonable belief that a person is suicidal) is take the person to a crisis center (the psychological "emergency room") and have them talk to a shrink. If they don't want to go, we can "petition" them, which is a quicky court order to make them get treatment. The court order is based on our observations, or those of a petitioning party (usually a friend or relative).

Never mind Kervorkian, he was prosecuted because he was just flagrantly rubbing it in the court's faces, over and over.

[Bovidae]

In California, we call it a 5150, involuntary psychiatric evaluation. My neighbor was put in two weeks for attempted suicide (woo, rough penalty)

People forget that it is their civic duty (read responsibility, not optional) to help others. We too have protocol for our phone reps for such things as suicide, domestic violence; right next to our policy for bomb threats.

[Bigfish]

Suicide and the depression that drives people to it are not funny. Sad thing is, its hard to tell if this kid actually needs legitimate help and if the sudden influx of media and police attention let him get off with an "I wasn't serious" when he may have been, or if it really was a stupid prank by a dumb kid.

Problem is, suicide isn't as near as taboo to joke about as it should be. I can tell you though, if I was going to do it and let some random stranger know, just to vent, and they managed to get help to me in time, first thing I would do is play it off as not serious, because the consequences are a whole lot different.

If you're genuinely suicidal, you're looking at time with a psychologist, having to explain yourself to your family and friends, and potentially a life time of medication and therapy.

If you can pass it off as a bad joke, you get a slap on the wrist, and you can continue flying under the radar. Which one of those sounds like a better alterantive?

[d0z3rr]

Classic vid of a girl crying over vent because of a ninja looter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMylc2Or1Ic

[Golle]

..."he had taken a bunch of pills and OD'ed."...

I am sorry but I have no idea what OD'ed means and the suspense not knowing whether he survived or not keeps mocking me. An explanation of the word would be greatly appreciated.

[homerjunior]

overdosed aka toke enough pills to kill him