Our local sheriff would have just shot him. Doesn't have to be that way.

By Denise DillonPublished November 23, 2021 11:29PMUpdated November 24, 2021 9:08AMHaralson CountyFOX 5 Atlanta
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/sheriff-talks-man-into-putting-down-his-gun-comforts-him?

Sheriff calms gunman in mental distress
All the Haralson County sheriff could do was give the man hug after talking him into dropping his gun. The man was clearly in mental distress. The whole incident was caught on camera.

HARALSON COUNTY, Ga - It could have a tragic ending, instead, a Georgia sheriff talked a distraught man out of taking his own life by cop.

Haralson County Sheriff Stacy Williams said he knew he was walking into a delicate situation but he had to do something to help a distraught young man.

The call went out as a domestic call. Investigators said when they responded they found a man waving a gun. Deputies said the man told them he had nothing to live for and wanted them to shoot him.

"He was clearly going through a traumatic experience for him to want to harm himself or want us to harm him," said Sheriff Williams.

Sheriff Williams said he knew first and foremost they had to convince the man to put his gun down.

"If he would have pointed a gun at me it would have went real bad real quickly," said Sheriff Williams.


After a lot of talking, the man finally put the gun down. Sheriff Williams didn't know if the man had any other weapons on him, but the sheriff ran to him and knelt down by his side.

The sheriff is being heard comforting the man on body camera video.

"We don't want to shoot you, we're here to help you okay? We're here to help you son".

"The kid was experiencing a real bad problem, I felt so terrible for him. Just make you want to cry," said Sheriff Williams.

Sheriff Williams had never met the 21-year-old before but he could tell he was going through a lot. He said he's just glad he was there to help.

"We in law enforcement, we're human just like everybody else. We have kids, we live in the community. We have compassion just like anybody else does and when something like this happens, that's what you do," said Sheriff Williams.

Sheriff Williams said he has since checked on the young man. He said he's getting the help he needs and is doing better.

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line).

CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.

My hat is off to this Sheriff.

Good Sheriff...

But I really really think this is just the tip of an iceberg...

Unfortunately, most incidents will go very differently (LEO or Civilian).

MANY SOULS are broken beyond mending.

It’s funny how things have changed.
My great-grandfather, a widower, had a somewhat similar situation in 1974. He was 80.
Everyone, mostly the grandkids, called him Big Dad.
Well, old Big Dad was slipping mentally. His daughter thought that she had gotten all the guns but he had one hid out on them…..his Browning Challenger.
It was a small town, around 5000 people, and everybody pretty well knew everybody. Big Dad was noted for giving kids rides all over town in a little wagon pulled by his 8N tractor. He kept a new car. Never drove it.
One day my Grandfather gets a call at work saying there is an emergency, come quick.
It seems Big Dad had gone “High Noon” and was strutting up and down the street with his Challenger strapped on his hip hollering for some fictitious villian to meet him in the street.
The police just cordoned off the streets, snuck those who were home out their back doors and waited for Pap to get there and get Big Dad calmed down.
Pap got there, got Big Dad settled down and got the gun. The gun wasn’t confiscated or anything. After that it was downhill for the old boy. He passed in 77.
Dad got the Browning when Pap died and now I have it since Dad passed.
My Uncle told me that story and said imagine all the SWAT teams, helicopters and Command post that would show up now. I just shook my head at how things have changed.
Ol’ Big Dad lived a full life. He raised five kids and some nieces and nephews. He was one of Lehigh-Portland Cements longest serving employees. He hired in at the age of 14 working in the livery stables taking care of the mules and horses. They forced him to retire at age 70 in 1964. When he retired he was Maintenance Supervisor for the plant. I vaguely remember him but I always remember him when I handle the old Browning.

good man

Thanks for sharing.

It happens more often than you think..........it just doesn't make the news.

George

Our calls for service involving EDP's, check on the well being, have increased 100% in the last 5 years. This is the result of many care providers that have pulled back or refused services and just put it on us (LE). At times we are the wrong tool for the job. Bad outcomes occur! But we answer the phone and never close. So it is easy for a lot of agencies and service providers to say "you go handle that" We do not work weekends or nights or just do not feel like it". Covid has magnified this problem! Last, the the social worker solution vs just call the cops, has never come to be and I doubt it will. any time soon.

That same LEO could have just as easily ended up shooting the dude on a different day.

That’s the reality of LE work.

Change one variable for anyone involved and it could end differently..........damn human element.

And may yet.

Spot on.

The media's narrative is to make cops look bad, this story doesn't help their cause.

That's a great story, until he shoots his family next week.

I agree. It happened few months back in my hometown. The Police could have shot the guy but ended up resolving the situation peacefully.
One of the officers involved, a friend of mine, received an award for his actions and how he handled the situation.

We had a sheriff like that, Roger Owens.

Gentler policing.

We had a very similar situation in our county a few months ago. Domestic, guy with gun, cops talking comely to him. Everything was apparently going well, right up until the time he shot a 30 year old deputy in the head.

I really want to believe this.

And it's just a shift in the media's desires in how to portray LE.
They don't really have to even lie.

Show these incidents, or don't.

Show the ones that are bad or questionable, or don't.

Great sheriff there!

Exactly what I thought about when I saw this quote from the Sheriff.



It sure would have "went real bad". The Sheriff would be dead.

That’s a great man right there! This country needs more men like him in law enforcement! I hope that sheriff has a long life and an illustrious career. 👍

IMO the job of the LEO is to enforce the law, not run a depression clinic...there are people out there to do what he did...afterwards. Thankful the sheriff is still with us.

And that's a problem. Only reporting the bad outcomes presents and unbalanced view of our nations police officers. I believe we would benefit from a more balanced perspective of what really goes on.

I wasn't there, so I dont know the exact situation, but I imagine there were more than 1 LEO on hand. I imagine that the sheriff told the others to cover him as he talked the fellow into putting down the gun. If the fellow had pointed the gun at the sheriff, I imagine some of the other officers would have fire, immediately.

Although putting himself in danger, the sheriff probably would not have been shot. The instant the fellow pointed the gun at the sheriff, several other officers would have fired.

Just my .02

That would require cops telling on themselves and include how little the piles of money we spend on law enforcement accomplishes, but you're right. You have to have all the facts to solve a problem.

It doesn't matter how well you're "covering me". If I'm holding a gun in hand you'll get shot before I do, every time. I will too, but you'll get shotl first.