- April 24, 2024
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After receiving a report about a man who wanted to shoot himself, the Ormond Beach Police Department spent almost five hours communicating with him to prevent him from taking his life on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
The man's girlfriend called police at approximately 2 p.m. that day to let officers know her boyfriend had a shotgun in his hand and wanted to kill himself in his residence in the 200 block of Roosevelt Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, his girlfriend had a broken a window in the front of the house and was communicating with the man, who was holding the gun. According to the police report, his girlfriend then climbed in through the window, refusing an officer's request to come to him instead.
The man's girlfriend feared if she left him alone, he would kill himself. Police communicated with the couple for several hours, over the phone and through the window. After the girlfriend's phone died, police provided them with another one.
At one point, police report the man told officers he would come out if they gave him a cigarette. Police obtained a pack and told him he could have one if he exited his home.
Police also found four shotgun shells at the north side of the home, three of which were intact and one which had been discharged before officers arrived at the scene.
At 6:10 p.m., the man's girlfriend exited the home and was safely removed from the area. Police report officers continued to communicate with the man, who was heard racking the shotgun as if he was unloading it. Less than one hour later, the man went outside his home with his hands in the air.
Officers collected suicide letters written by the man and placed them into evidence. He was placed under the protective custody of the Baker Act and driven to Halifax Health to be evaluated.
