December 2, 2024

WALTON COUNTY, FLA— A standoff lasting more than seven hours ended peacefully Saturday after Walton County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a man experiencing a mental health crisis in Santa Rosa Beach.

On November 30^th, at 2:20 pm Walton County Sheriff’s Office received information out of Shelby County, Tennessee that a subject from their jurisdiction sent disturbing images to his wife. In the photos, the man appeared to be on the beach holding a gun to his head.

Shelby County provided an approximate location in the Miramar Beach area in Walton County. A vehicle description was given to dispatchers who relayed the information to deputies.

The vehicle was spotted by a deputy near Highway 98 and Sandestin Lane. The deputy waited for a backup unit to arrive and directed others to shut down traffic on Highway 98 once a stop was made.

At 2:35 pm deputies initiated a traffic stop near Southhaven Circle with the vehicle once they confirmed the tag number with Shelby County. The vehicle pulled into South Haven parking facing Highway 98, making it necessary to stop traffic so no one was injured if gunfire was exchanged.

Deputies attempted to have a conversation with the subject numerous times through the windows, but he repeatedly told deputies to leave and that he was on the phone with his wife.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiations Unit (CNU) was called to the scene at 2:38 pm and made initial contact with the wife who told deputies he stated he wanted to die by suicide by cop.

For the next several hours, the subject made numerous threats of self-harm, even warning deputies he would drive off to force them to shoot him. Over that period, negotiators continued to try and talk to the subject to de-escalate.

Additional resources including Investigations, the Drone Unit, and SWAT responded to the scene, and at 8:55 pm the drone was used to get a closer visual on the vehicle. Just after 9:00 pm, the subject raised his gun and pointed at the drone and then at his head.

Around 10:00 pm, the subject turned the vehicle on and began to pull forward attempting to leave. The SWAT Team deployed less lethal irritants into the vehicle and within seconds the subject threw a loaded .45 caliber handgun out of the vehicle. He was swiftly taken into protective custody and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Highway 98 was reopened a short time later.

“This incident showcased the professionalism of numerous aspects of our agency from CNU to our Drone Team to SWAT,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “We realize many people were frustrated by the traffic it created, but everyone went home, and no one lost their life. That, to us, is a win.”

The post SEVEN-HOUR STANDOFF WITH ARMED, SUICIDAL SUBJECT ENDS PEACEFULLY; ONE TRANSPORTED first appeared on Walton County Sheriff’s Office, FL.