Memorial fund for David Lawrence Couch III

WHAT HAPPENED TO DAVID

My name is Lauren Metzger. I am the sister of David Couch. My brother was fatally shot by a CHP officer on the night of 2/9/23, (last night, as I am writing this) though we have yet to understand how this happened, or why. My brother David suffered from severe mental illness and was permanently disabled. He was cared for by our mom, Jeanelle, and dad, Larry.

EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS TRAGEDY

David was placed in jail just before Christmas of 2022. Shortly before his detainment, we discovered that he had stopped taking his medication, as he was starting to act irrationally. We were used to this happening every couple years, and were on the track to getting him on a medication routine again when he was arrested.

My mother, Jeanelle Couch, who was not only grieving from the sudden loss of her sister (my aunt) in October, and her husband’s (my dad’s) unexpected cancer diagnosis and emergency surgery in December, was fighting for David’s mental health throughout his detention. 

After being detained in jail for over one month, David was released from jail on 2/8/23. Upon his release, David was excited to be out of jail, as my mom recalls him saying “I never want to be in trouble again.”

LEFT UNRECOGNIZABLE FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS

On 2/9/23 David was fatally shot by a member of California Highway Patrol in front of our family home. David was shot so many times he was no longer recognizable. No sirens or irregular noises were heard before my family heard the gunshots and ran outside. We can’t understand why this happened, but we do know he did not have a gun anywhere around his person when he was discovered laying in the street by my parents and his best friend, my adopted brother, Frankie.

He was then taken to a hospital and following surgery was immediately placed on life support. He is currently on life support as an organ donor and would have appreciated being able to save other lives from his loss.

ABOUT DAVID

David is originally from the Bay Area in California, where we all lived in a small home in Prunedale built by our grandpa, Homer Lee. Our family moved to Redding, CA in 2000 and have remained here ever since. David was well known in and around Redding, and we have already received so much kindness and stories from those who knew and loved him.

David Couch was beloved by his community and was a gentle, kind, devoted Christian. David was known to give away any of possessions without a second thought for the simple joy of making someone smile. He cherished all life and lovingly told our mom shortly before his passing, “Im never going to hurt any bugs ever again. Whenever I see a spider I’m going to pick it up and take it outside.” David was known to befriend every animal around him, which included our incredibly old, tiny, and terrifying Shih Tzu, named Shotzee. My mom lovingly recalls, “I woke up one morning with David’s face right next to mine, with a very visible bite mark on his nose, and he was smiling his big smile and he said, ‘Mom, I made friends with the dog!’”

It will be no surprise to those who knew him that my brother struggled with his undiagnosed mental illness for 23 years before his mental break around eight years ago. This break caused him to hear voices, become irrational, and made him believe he led an entirely different life: reimagining the entire world around him, and developing the persona of a heroic war hero like Rambo, literally overnight. He lived in his own world, and was preciously cared for by our mom, Jeanelle, who has devoted her entire life to her family’s well being, and is the epitome of a beautiful person and devoted mother.

WHERE THE INVESTIGATION STANDS

There is currently no update on this investigation as of 2/10/23. We have not heard from police since the events of last night.

WE ARE SEEKING SUPPORT AND PRAYERS FOR OUR FAMILY

As some of you may know, we have had so many sudden and tragic deaths surrounding our family these last few years, including the passing of our beloved grandparents Mary Lou and Homer Lee Perryman.

My family is suffering from this string of tragedies and we can’t explain how much we appreciate the outpouring of love and support we’ve already seen from our family and friends. On behalf of everyone in my family, thank you so much for all of the stories you have shared with us so far. We are hoping this fundraiser will help us cover funeral costs for David, and help my parents cover some of their bills while they take the time they need to grieve and seek justice for David.

If you’re reading this and have one, please share a story you have of David so we can show the whole world what a beautiful person he is, was, and will always be.