PREPARE
PREPARE FOR A NEW FLIGHT OF GLOBAL PROPORTIONS.
MIKE VALERIO, WUSA 4@9.
>>> ARMY NURSE KATIE LANCHARD
WAS AFRAID OF THE
CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE SHE
SUPERVISED AND THEN HE NEARLY
KILLED HER.
KILLED HER. SHE HAS NO WAY TO HOLD HER
EMPLOYER ACCOUNTABLE.
EMPLOYER ACCOUNTABLE. SH4@E'S NOT 4@ALLOWED TO SUE TH
EMPLOYER ACCOUNTABLE. SH4@E'S NOT 4@ALLOWED TO SUE TH@
U.S. MILITARY FOR WHAT
SHE SAYS THEY FAILED TO DO,
PROTECT HER.
>>
>> REPORTER: SEPTEMBER 7th, 2015, FORT
2015, FORT LEAVENWORTH, TEXAS.
LEAVENWORTH, TEXAS. >> IT HAPPENED REALLY FAST.
>> REPORTER: KATIE WAS IN HER
OFFICE.
OFFICE.
OFFICE. >> I LOOKED UP AND SAW HIM IN
THE DOORWAY.
THE DOORWAY. >> REPORTER: THAT'S WHEN
4@CLIFFORD CURRY CHANGED HER
LIFE FOREVER.
LIFE FOREVER. >> HE DOUSED ME WITH GASOLINE
AND LIT 2 MATCHES AND
BEFORE I COULD EVEN STAND UP
HAD THROWN THE MATCHES
AT ME, AND I FELT A SUDDEN
BURST OF HEAT AND FLAMES.
I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING BECAUSE
4@MY FACE WAS ENGULFED
IN FLAMES.
IN FLAMES. >> REPORTER: SHE REMEMBERS A
FELLOW NURSE TRYING TO
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. >>
HELP. >> I SAW CURRY, UM, CLIFFORD
CURRY, MY ATTACKER
COMING AT ME WITH A LARGE
INDUSTRIAL SCISSORS AND A
STRAIGHT BLADE, AND I REMEMBER
PUTTING MY HANDS UP.
I COULDN'T SEE VERY WELL, BUT I
REMEMBER ALL OF US
BEING IN A SCUFFLE VERY CLOSE
TOGETHER, AND ME
PUTTING MY HANDS UP AS HE WAS
STABBING AT BOTH OF
US.
US.
US. >>
US. >> REPORTER: SOMEONE WAS
4@FINALLY ABLE TO RESTRAIN
CURRY.
CURRY.
CURRY. >>
CURRY. >> I WAS LAYING ON THAT COLD
HARD FLOOR FOR QUITE
AWHILE WAITING FOR THE
AMBULANCE TO COME, AND I JUST
KEPT SCREAMING YOU KNEW THIS 4@
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW IF
I DIDN'T MAKE IT.
>> REPORTER: IN FACT THEY WERE
WARNED SOMETHING WAS
GOING 4@TO HAPPEN ACCORDING TO
THIS ARMY INVESTIGATION
OF THE 4@INCIDENT.
SWORN STATEMENTS SHOW BLANCHARD
REPORTED HER FEARS
TO HER SUPERVISORS.
SHE THOUGHT SOMETHING WASN'T
RIGHT WITH HIM.
BUT THE INVESTIGATION ALSO SAYS
SHE WAS TOLD WITHOUT
TANGIBLE EVIDENCE THAT
SOMETHING BAD WAS 4@GOING 4@TO
HAPPEN, THE SENTIMENT SEEMED TO
BE NOTHING MORE
COULD BE DONE.
LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, HER
ENTIRE HEAD AND FACE
WERE BURNED.
WERE BURNED. CURRY WAS CONVICTED IN FEDERAL
COURT AND SENTENCED
TO THE MAXIMUM OF 20 YEARS IN
PRISON.
PRISON.
PRISON. WHILE ARMY RECORDS SAY 4@HE IS
SOLELY RESPONSIBLE,
SOLELY RESPONSIBLE, THEY ALSO NOTE LEADERSHIP
NEGLIGENCE AND POOR
JUDGMENT.
JUDGMENT.
JUDGMENT. STILL, THE RETI4@RED CAPTAIN SA
SHE HAS NO WAY TO
HOLD ARMY LEADERSHIP
ACCOUNTABLE.
ACCOUNTABLE. WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE FERRIS
DOCTRINE.
DOCTRINE.
DOCTRINE. IT'S A SUPREME COURT RULING
THAT PROHIBITS ACTIVE
DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS FROM 4@SUI
THE GOVERNMENT FOR
SOMETHING BROUGHT ON BY THEIR
SERVICE, BUT TH4@AT
INCLUDES THINGS LIKE NEGLIGENCE
AND WORK PLACE
VIOLENCE.
VIOLENCE.
VIOLENCE. >> IT WAS THIS FEELING OF 4@
EVERYTHING I BELIEVED IN
AND WORKED FOR BETRAYED ME.
THE MILITARY I LOVED AND MY
FAMILY LOVED LEFT ME
BEHIND.
BEHIND.
BEHIND. >> REPORTER: AT THIS POINT THE
MOM OF 3 COUNTS OVER
200 SURGERIES.
200 SURGERIES. EVEN SO SHE'S TRAVELED FROM HER
HOME IN WASHINGTON
STATE HERE TO DC FOR HEARINGS
ON POSSIBLE CHANGES TO
FERRIS.
FERRIS.
FERRIS. REPEALING THE FERRIS DOCTRINE
WOULD CREATE A SPECIAL
GROUP WITHIN THE MILITARY
ALLOWING SOME SERVICE
MEMBERS TO SUE WHILE OTHERRINGS
WHO ARE INJURED IN
COMBAT TRAINING WOULD NOT BE
ABLE TO.
ABLE TO.
ABLE TO. THEY SAY THE OFFICE CONTINUES
TO SUPPORT THE LONG
STANDING CONGRESSIONAL POLICY
THAT ALL MILITARY
MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
SHOULD BE 4@UNDER THE 4@SAME
COMPENSATION 4@SYSTEM FOR
PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH
WHATEVER THE CAUSE.
AFTER ALMOST 7 DECADES,
CONGRESS FINALLY 4@AGREED TO
RE4@FORM PART OF THE FERRIS
DOCTRINE.
DOCTRINE.
DOCTRINE. THE LEGISLATION THAT THE
PRESIDENT SIGNED ALLOWS 4@
SERVICE MEMBERS TO BE
COMPENSATED FOR MEDICAL
MALPRACTICE, MOTIVATED BY THE
GREEN BERET WHO TOLD
US HIS STORY IN SEPTEMBER.
KATIE HOPES IT WILL CHANGE THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM.
ENTIRE SYSTEM. >> SOME OF THIS WILL NEVER
CHANGE FOR MY 4@STORY OR
BENEFIT MY FAMILY HAVING TO GO
THROUGH THIS, BUT 4@WHY
I TALK AND ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE
IS SO THE NEXT PERSON
DOESN'T 4@HAVE TO GO THROUGH WH
I WENT THROUGH.
>> KATIE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT,
AND WHAT HAPPENED TO
HER WAS SIMPLY HORRIFIC.
IS THERE A COST TO THIS?
>> YES, BUT IT'S TOUGH TO TELL
EXACTLY HOW MUCH.
NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL TO
4@
NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL TO DETERMINE HOW THE
COURTS WILL RULE IN THE CASES,
HOW MUCH THEY WOULD
AWARD IN DAMAGES.
BUT DOD SAYS IT WILL COST AN
ESTIMATED 40 TO
$50 MILLION A YEAR IN TAXPAYER
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. >>
MONEY. >> I SURE