Can't stay quiet on this one. Big thread.

A veteran in NY was involved in an hours-long standoff with police yesterday after barricading himself inside his attic. The man broadcast the whole event live on Instagram, claiming he wanted a peaceful resolution... (1/18)

At one point, though, he apparently changed into a service uniform and told negotiators "there would be blood" if they didn't meet a list of his demands. Police response was heavy, even involving an armed personnel carrier and a street cordon... (2/18)

Thanks to the vet's statements on Instagram, many people on social media are espousing this as a Red Flag Law seizure because of 30 round magazines, that it was unconstitutional, and that the vet is being illegally held. There's also talk of conspiracy, of course... (3/18)

The police involved have issued a statement claiming this had nothing to do with a Red Flag Seizure of high capacity magazines. Rather, they've stated the vet had a history of PTSD and was being investigated for multiple complaints of domestic violence... (4/18)

The situation apparently grew more intense when, during this investigation, deputies heard gunshots issue from the man's home. At that point, the police entered the home in force, and that's when the man barricaded himself inside... (5/18)

A man with a history of violence, military training, and instability, who is threatening police with statements like "there will be blood" if they don't meet his demands, is a danger to the community. Also, gunshots were heard at the scene... (6/18)

I support my fellow veterans. But in this case, an evacuation of neighbors and an armed response were appropriate. In recent months, police have seized private citizens caches over 1,000 weapons each. There's no way to know what firepower this man has... (7/18)

And it's way better to be safe than sorry. I support my fellow veterans, but I also support complying with law enforcement. I don't know the full details, but the guy's actions would indicate guilt in my mind. You don't barricade yourself from police and issue demands... (8/18)

If you've got nothing to hide. Luckily, the standoff ended peacefully. The guy is in police custody. No one was hurt or killed. The worst that happened was some neighbors' days were inconvenienced by the evacuation and cordon. I call that a major win... (9/18)

I know there's a lot of paranoia going around about the incident. There's a lot of mistrust of police. A lot of references to a military state. And perhaps that's a larger conversation. But I think it's important to remember who our police officers are... (10/18)

They're members of our communities. They're our neighbors. Friends. They're regular people just trying to do a job. Some are good, some are bad. But all of them are *us*. When we fail to remember that, we make them our enemy. And the more animosity is directed toward... (11/18)

Them... the more we do things like barricade ourselves in our houses or shoot deputies on the street... the more militarized their response will get. Why? Because citizens are chosing to engage in war with police, and those police wanna go back home to their families... (12/18)

So of course police response in increasing. Of course it's becoming more militarized. Private citizens are storing enough firepower in their homes to take out 150 people at a music festival in less than a minute. 100 people in a nightclub... (13/18)

The response is frightening, but it's an appropriate escalation of strength. If we want to demilitarize the police, we need to demilitarize our mindset about them. The more we are prepared to go to war, the more likely war will be brought to us. And trust me, friends,... (14/18)

I've been to war. None of you are interested in going there. So please, try to have a broader mindset in these situations. Police often make mistakes, but in this case, they protected a community from a reasonable threat with the information and resources they had... (15/18)

Available to them. I feel like the response was fair. And it was obviously successful. No one was hurt or killed. Let's hope the vet gets the help he needs, his family the support it's earned, and his community the safety it deserves. (16/18)

To my fellow vets: PLEASE comply with law enforcement. Remember your escalation of force training. What happens when a person doesn't comply? Shit gets violent. Comply. Let the legal system work it out. If you need help, call the Veterans Crisis Line - 1-800-273-8255. (17/18)

Get the help you need. I know you've probably been told it's weak to do so. It isn't. It's strong. You deserve it. Your family deserves it.

I know the war isn't over. I know you fight it every day. But you don't have to fight it alone. Please, battle. Get help. (18/18)