Episode 23: Matt Pitcher (Start of Part 2) - Former UnderCover Operative, 22 Year Career in Law Enforcement, Medal of Valor Recipient

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane. 

A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, certified Life & Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones.

In this episode, Erin speaks with Matt Pitcher, a former police officer with over 22 years experience in law enforcement, with both the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD in North Carolina and Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Florida. His professional duties included extensive undercover experience, at both the State and Federal levels, involving drug trafficking, organised crime, political corruption and domestic terrorism. Matt even received the Medal of Valor for his role in one such case. Throughout his career, he had involvement in Major Crime invesitgations, involving rape, human trafficking and homicide, in particular one case involving a suspected serial killer.

Matt medically retired from law enforcement in late 2022 and kindly now, shares his stories and experiences in a mission to help fellow First Responders, especially Law Enforcement Officers, recognise the mental health implications of careers in these kinds of professions and encourage others to seek assistance when they need it and not leave it until it's too late.

(If you haven't already listened to Part 1, Episodes 21 & 22, I encourage you to go back and listen, as this episode picks up exactly where the last episode left off).

In their conversation, (Part 2 of 2) Matt tells Erin in detail about his second deep undercover investigation, where he infiltrated an environmental anarchist group, that had members within their ranks with plans on domestic terrorism. Namely, to bomb the Democratic National Convention in 2011.

This was completely different to his previous operation and a very different personality to portray, as well as demographic of people to ingratiate himself with. He spent most of his time with a very dangerous, manipulative and unpredictable man named Billy, in an organisation that styled themselves on Al Qaeda.

As a result, he was able to provide information to his handler, which thwarted their efforts to conduct a catastrophic domestic terrorist attack. For his dedication to this investigation, Matt was awarded the Medal of Valor.

Suffice to say, two back to back undercover operations took their toll on Matt's mental health significantly, making acclimation back into his "real" life challenging at times.

Matt is really open and honest with Erin during this conversation, going in depth about the kind of psychological and physiological effects his career had on him. He has spoken often about his time as a police officer, but it's taken time for him to feel comfortable sharing the mental health aspects. But his desire to help others struggling and the catharsis he experiences sharing his story is all a part of his own healing process.

What a privilege it was for Erin to speak with Matt and hear about this aspect of his journey.

Matt is working on a book about his experiences and career and we think it will be an amazing read!

You can follow Matt on Instagram or TikTok with the handle @ret_det_mattpitcher

We both hope you enjoy listening to this episode! 

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane.

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