KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville family is taking a tragedy that happened to them in 2017 and turning it into a story of hope for others. They created an organization that helps military veterans, like their father, who struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.
On a spring day in 2017, 74-year-old Albert Gagnier was struggling.
"The man that was in the house with me was really not my husband," Gabriela Gagnier said. "He had gone through some very tragic incidents, he hadn't slept for five days during the week."
His family didn't know he was struggling with PTSD until it was too late. Albert Gagnier walked out of his house with a gun and fired it into the air and down the street. Neighbors called 911 for help, concerned about the gunshots.
Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office arrived and the family said they couldn't talk Albert down. He was shot by deputies and transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he died.
The days after his death were filled with heartache. Neighbors held a vigil where they prayed and sang Amazing Grace
"What they knew about him they admired," Gabriela said. "He played with the children, he used to fix their bikes, he used to toss the ball at them."
The Gagnier family learned more about Albert's struggles with PTSD after his death. His son, Josh Gagnier, was inspired to start a clothing company — Phoenix Gear. After a few years, he decided to do something even bigger — Mission Phoenix. The organization hopes to combat the stigma around mental illness and PTSD within the veteran community.
The goal is to help families prevent tragic accidents, like what happened to Keith, from happening to anyone else.
"Even though it's hard. It is, everything that happened," Josh said. "Now it's not about him anymore. Now. It's about who else can we save?"
Josh had a friend reach out to him to meet with a Knox County deputy who had also responded to a veteran-related incident. That incident also involved a person diagnosed with PTSD. That deputy was Keith West, who was there the day Albert took his last breaths.
"For us to not forgive somebody is un-Christ-like," Josh said. "Having the opportunity to meet Keith really put that to a test. You know, is it something that we believe? Or is it something that we just say we believe?"
"When we as police officers decided to get into this line of profession, we know that situation could come up," West said. "You always imagined, it's the the criminal doing criminal things. You never imagined that it's the 74-year-old Vietnam veteran."
The two met up at a coffee and donut shop.
"When he walked in, it was just it was like the grace of God," Josh said. "Being able to hug him and to tell him that we love him and forgive him and hold nothing ill against him. It was just, it was a burden off of me."
Now, they are working together on a training course for law enforcement. The training is meant to help ensure fewer people with PTSD are shot by authorities.
"I think that the answer to this problem is a proactive approach, not a reactive approach," West said. "It's getting to know the veterans in your community."
But it didn't stop there. Keith met Caleb Martin, Albert's grandson. They got to know each other through ride-alongs.
"Seeing how he portrayed policing is not like what media portrays it to be," Martin said. "Seeing it in a different light from somebody who's very humble, made me want to be a part of that."
Keith pinned Caleb at his swearing-in ceremony. Gabriela also said she has a message to the six other KCSO deputies who saw her husband's last moments.
"I still would welcome them with open arms," Gabriela said." So if they're out there, please come and see me. But I would love to be able to love on them also and tell them it's okay. They can keep going, and they can go on."
Mission Phoenix is now conducting its law enforcement training with Blount County Sherriff's Office as part of its yearly in-service training.