Last week, Liberty County Dispatch received a 911 call of a man that was threatening to kill himself. The caller advised the man had taken a pistol, left in his vehicle and was going to kill himself. The caller also advised the man made statements that if he saw a deputy, he was going to kill himself.
Sergeant Heath Cutshaw, Deputy Neil Shuler, and K9 Deputy John Cessna then responded to the area. Deputies blocked Rocky Lane in an attempt to contain the subject. When the man saw the road block, he turned around and began to flee in his vehicle. A short vehicle pursuit was then initiated.
The man bailed out of his vehicle and began running on foot with a pistol in his hand. The man stopped running and then pointed the gun at himself and was making suicidal threats. A standoff then occurred which lasted approximately 20 minutes. During this time, the man shot the pistol twice in the air and continued to point the pistol to himself while making the threat to kill himself.
Verbal de-escalation techniques were then initiated by Sergeant Cutshaw, Deputy Shuler and Deputy Cessna, which proved effective. The man eventually complied and dropped the gun and walked towards deputies. Deputies took him into custody without further incident.
“Our deputies displayed great restraint in a volatile situation. Besides inflaming the incident, they were able to de-escalate and save a life.” Sheriff Money stated.
Additionally, we would like to thank the Florida Highway Patrol, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Blountstown Police Department for responding to the incident.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.
Visit the link below to learn more:
https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/
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