Officials: Olympian Jeret Peterson has died

[IDemo]

Source: KTVB.COM

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Updated today at 5:11 PM

SALT LAKE COUNTY -- The Unified Police Department in Salt Lake County, Utah confirms they are investigating the death of U.S. aerial freestyle skier Jeret "Speedy" Peterson. Officials say the Olympian took his own life Monday night.

Peterson was found dead at about 9:30 p.m. Monday from a self-inflicted gun shot wound. It happened in a mountainous area of Utah called Lambs Canyon.

Salt Lake County Unified Police tell KTVB Peterson called police to tell them where he was prior to taking his life.

Peterson was arrested Friday in Hailey for speeding and driving while intoxicated. Earlier today, Peterson's attorney filed paperwork on his behalf pleading not guilty to both crimes. His attorney was unavailable for comment.

Read more: http://www.ktvb.com/news/Speedy-Peterson-126215978.html

[bluedigger]

1. RIP, Speedy.

Bit of a hasty decision over such a mundane incident. Very sad.

[JI7]

3. seems more like depression or something

[IDemo]

4. This was far more than the DUI incident

From another link: In Italy, he was still reeling from the suicide of a friend, who had shot himself in front of Peterson only months before.

Peterson also had problems with alcohol and depression and admitted he had his own thoughts of suicide, all stemming from a childhood in which he was sexually abused and lost his 5-year-old sister to a drunken driver.

[BigDemVoter]

2. Depression is like that. . .

It stews & stews & one can so rarely help the person who suffers.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Adding a link to an article with additional information

Aerial skier ‘Speedy’ Peterson dies in apparent suicide

A native of Boise, Peterson had moved to Park City and taken classes at the University of Utah. He made his Olympic debut at the 2002 Salt Lake Games, and blossomed into one of the best aerialists in the world because of the Hurricane — a mind-blowing move that included three flips and five twists.

No other skier dared to even attempt it.

"In complete shock over this sad news," fellow former freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom wrote on Twitter.

"Today is a sad day in our sport," said Bill Marolt, the head of the U.S. Ski Team. Peterson "was a great champion who will be missed and remembered as a positive, innovative force on not only his sport of freestyle aerials, but on the entire U.S. Freestyle Ski Team family and everyone he touched."