Table 1.

Summary Details^a of Dementia-Related ERPO Cases in Washington from December 8, 2016, to May 10, 2019

Respondent ID	Summary^a
1	The Petitioner was a family member of a Respondent. The Petitioner expressed concern over the Respondent’s ability to safely handle firearms due to dementia. Caregivers felt uncomfortable with the Respondent brandishing pistol to “show” them that he is armed. The Respondent kept loaded gun on person. His family called 911 and expressed concern for his safety and caregiver’s safety. In a final encounter with law enforcement, he expressed a desire for suicide by police. The ERPO was dismissed for reasons that we were not able to determine.
2	The Petitioner was a family member, having filed an ERPO on a Respondent with both mental health concerns and possible dementia. The Respondent had multiple guns both in a gun safe and unsecured. He made open threats of violence toward neighbors. The Petitioner filed ERPO with documentation from a physician of the Respondent’s inability to safely handle firearms. A judge denied ERPO (standard of evidence not met) and the Respondent was able to keep firearm despite deteriorating cognitive condition.
3	The Petitioner was law enforcement, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who was suffering from Alzheimer disease with recurrent delusions and paranoia as well as potential alcoholism. The Respondent claimed that intruders were entering his residence and stated that he armed himself with firearms to fend them off. Immediately preceding the ERPO, law enforcement was dispatched to the house, responding to an elderly assistance alarm as well as a self-reported shooting, from which bullet holes were discovered in the residence. Law enforcement removed firearms from premises. The ERPO was granted.
4	The Petitioner was law enforcement entity, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who was suffering from potential dementia and alcoholism, with a history of domestic violence. The Respondent had called 911 several times reporting break ins over the course of the prior months. Immediately preceding filing of the ERPO, law enforcement was called to do a welfare check at the Respondent’s residence. He had multiple unsecured and loaded handguns and rifles on a shelf in his residence. The caregiver expressed concern that the Respondent could shoot them or others. The ERPO was granted.
5	The Petitioner was law enforcement, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who, in addition to suffering from a recent diagnosis of dementia/Alzheimer disease, had a history of violent behavior, suicidal ideation, and mental health concerns. The Respondent’s family described erratic and confused behavior coupled with unsafe storage of firearms, violent outbursts, unprompted brandishing of his firearm, and not recognizing familiar people. Due to suicidal ideations, he was emergently detained at an area hospital where he was evaluated. The ERPO was granted.
6	The Petitioner was law enforcement, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who suffered from dementia. The Respondent reportedly told neighbors, who called the police, that he had shot himself when he had not. He also expressed a desire for police to shoot him. The Respondent lived in a home with over a dozen firearms, in addition to firearms present from family members living in the home. His doctor provided a letter describing dementia diagnosis caused by alcoholism and/or Alzheimer disease. The Respondent had made threats of violence against the doctor after revocation of his driver’s license. The ERPO was granted.
7	The Petitioner was a law enforcement, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who suffered from Alzheimer disease. He had also made threats against anyone coming to his home with intentions of removing him, saying he would shoot them. His dementia was exasperated by ongoing alcoholism, contributing to hostility. The Petitioner stated that apart from dementia, the Respondent had a long history of ongoing domestic violence. The ERPO was granted.
8	The Petitioner was law enforcement, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who suffered from suspected dementia. The Respondent’s wife called 911 after he threatened to kill himself. Multiple firearms were kept unsecured in night stand. The Respondent may be lying about access to firearms, one of which he claims was stolen. The full ERPO was denied.
9	The Petitioner was law enforcement, filing an ERPO on a Respondent who has a history of violence and vascular dementia with behavioral disturbance. The Petitioner was called to the house for a reported burglary, and when they arrived, the Respondent threatened them with a gun. The Respondent had a recent diagnosis of cancer, ongoing marital problems, and a history of alcoholism. Over the decade preceding the ERPO, the Respondent had several complaints from neighbors for threatening, suspicious, or harassing encounters. The full ERPO was granted.

^aNarratives were reported so that factual details were shuffled between cases. All summaries are representative of details from actual cases, while respecting anonymity