Zoneboy
07-08-2008, 09:42 AM
Link (http://www.kentucky.com/254/story/454997.html)
GEORGETOWN — A Georgetown man struggled for years, battling a painful spine injury and fighting to obtain Social Security benefits. He even reached out to a television reality show, hoping to be a better dad to his two sons.
Friday night, his struggle ended in a Georgetown cemetery. Scott Terrill died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest after a 90-minute standoff with police.
Terrill carried ”a lot of emotional baggage from the past,“ said Dwayne Russell, pastor of Safe Harbor Baptist Fellowship in Georgetown, who will officiate at his funeral.
Despite those trials, Terrill was a dedicated father, Russell said. His appearance on a Supernanny episode that first aired in January showed his ”desire to be a better dad.“
Terrill, 37, suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy since an accident about five years ago, said his mother, Margaret Ng.
The disorder causes sufferers to feel continuous, intense pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury, which gets worse rather than better over time. There is no cure.
Terrill had tried getting a job to work from home, but he could only sit up only a certain amount of hours of the day, Ng said.
”It might not have looked like it on the TV, but he could not get up for more than a couple hours a day because of the RSD,“ she said.
The Supernanny episode featuring Terrill first aired on Jan. 23. Terrill said he had struggled to set boundaries for his sons, Lane and Tate, who were 11 and 5 at the time, because of his own harsh childhood.
In an attempt to avoid repeating the past, Terrill went to the other extreme, where he could not set discipline in his home.
Terrill later became the mascot for the show's ”Foxy Dad of the Year“ competition.
Ng said Terrill went camping with his sons and was also involved with his eldest son's soccer and his children's schooling.
”He was a loving father with a big heart,“ Ng said.
On Friday, Terrill called Georgetown police about 6:50 p.m., Capt. Scott Starns said Monday. He told police he was thinking of killing himself and had a gun.
Terrill asked to speak to Police Chief Greg Reeves, and told him he was at his father's grave at the Georgetown Cemetery.
Officers went to the cemetery, blocking off the scene and evacuating some of the houses nearby.
As he talked to officers, Terrill had a .38-caliber handgun pressed to his chest the whole time, Starns said.
”About an hour and a half into this whole scenario, they thought progress was being made, and he just abruptly squeezed the trigger,“ Starns said.
Scott County Coroner John Goble pronounced Terrill dead at Georgetown Community Hospital about 9 p.m.
Terrill grew up in Georgetown and attended Lexington Catholic High School, where he played basketball. He obtained his GED and went to one year of college at Morehead State University, Ng said.
In 2002 he ran in the Republican primary for a state House seat against Charlie Hoffman, but lost.
At Safe Harbor Baptist Fellowship, Russell said he had not seen or spoken to Terrill in six or seven months. But he said Terrill, a likeable guy who had been active in the church, had remained in contact with other church members.
Terrill's death has greatly affected his congregation, Russell said. Many watched Terrill grow up, and church members have helped take care of his children.
”People who are struggling with those emotional struggles, they need to get connected with other people,“ he said. ”Not one of us as human beings could handle the stresses and struggles of life by ourselves.“
A graveside service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Georgetown Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tucker, Yocum & Wilson Funeral Home.
GEORGETOWN — A Georgetown man struggled for years, battling a painful spine injury and fighting to obtain Social Security benefits. He even reached out to a television reality show, hoping to be a better dad to his two sons.
Friday night, his struggle ended in a Georgetown cemetery. Scott Terrill died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest after a 90-minute standoff with police.
Terrill carried ”a lot of emotional baggage from the past,“ said Dwayne Russell, pastor of Safe Harbor Baptist Fellowship in Georgetown, who will officiate at his funeral.
Despite those trials, Terrill was a dedicated father, Russell said. His appearance on a Supernanny episode that first aired in January showed his ”desire to be a better dad.“
Terrill, 37, suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy since an accident about five years ago, said his mother, Margaret Ng.
The disorder causes sufferers to feel continuous, intense pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury, which gets worse rather than better over time. There is no cure.
Terrill had tried getting a job to work from home, but he could only sit up only a certain amount of hours of the day, Ng said.
”It might not have looked like it on the TV, but he could not get up for more than a couple hours a day because of the RSD,“ she said.
The Supernanny episode featuring Terrill first aired on Jan. 23. Terrill said he had struggled to set boundaries for his sons, Lane and Tate, who were 11 and 5 at the time, because of his own harsh childhood.
In an attempt to avoid repeating the past, Terrill went to the other extreme, where he could not set discipline in his home.
Terrill later became the mascot for the show's ”Foxy Dad of the Year“ competition.
Ng said Terrill went camping with his sons and was also involved with his eldest son's soccer and his children's schooling.
”He was a loving father with a big heart,“ Ng said.
On Friday, Terrill called Georgetown police about 6:50 p.m., Capt. Scott Starns said Monday. He told police he was thinking of killing himself and had a gun.
Terrill asked to speak to Police Chief Greg Reeves, and told him he was at his father's grave at the Georgetown Cemetery.
Officers went to the cemetery, blocking off the scene and evacuating some of the houses nearby.
As he talked to officers, Terrill had a .38-caliber handgun pressed to his chest the whole time, Starns said.
”About an hour and a half into this whole scenario, they thought progress was being made, and he just abruptly squeezed the trigger,“ Starns said.
Scott County Coroner John Goble pronounced Terrill dead at Georgetown Community Hospital about 9 p.m.
Terrill grew up in Georgetown and attended Lexington Catholic High School, where he played basketball. He obtained his GED and went to one year of college at Morehead State University, Ng said.
In 2002 he ran in the Republican primary for a state House seat against Charlie Hoffman, but lost.
At Safe Harbor Baptist Fellowship, Russell said he had not seen or spoken to Terrill in six or seven months. But he said Terrill, a likeable guy who had been active in the church, had remained in contact with other church members.
Terrill's death has greatly affected his congregation, Russell said. Many watched Terrill grow up, and church members have helped take care of his children.
”People who are struggling with those emotional struggles, they need to get connected with other people,“ he said. ”Not one of us as human beings could handle the stresses and struggles of life by ourselves.“
A graveside service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Georgetown Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tucker, Yocum & Wilson Funeral Home.