Authorities subdue suicidal man

A total of eleven law enforcement officers from three agencies combined forces last week to apprehend an Illinois man who was reported to be suicidal after being shamed for getting vaccinated.

On July 20 at around 10:30 a.m., dispatch alerted all Crook County Sheriff’s Office units that a suicidal subject armed with a shotgun was located in a vehicle on Highway 14.

The initial response included both Sheriff’s Office deputies and Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers. According to the report of one of the deputies, witnesses on Highway 14 waited for them to arrive in order to show them where the vehicle was located.

One of the reporting parties was saying that they had heard a gunshot.

According to the report, when the first three law enforcement officers arrived on scene, a male subject was stood around 25 to 50 yards off the highway holding what appeared to be a shotgun. He was heard to make statements such as, “go away,” and, “I just want to die” and would place the gun against his head and then remove it.

The deputy reports that attempts were made to talk with the man, but wind and distance made it difficult. The deputy requested a negotiator and possibly a robot from Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and was advised they were being sent.

Three more law enforcement officers arrived, one of them with “less than lethal” equipment. At this time, three deputies and three troopers were on scene.

While the deputies continued attempting to talk with the man, one trooper was able to get the license plate number on the car using binoculars. When he ran the plate number, it came back as belonging to a missing or endangered person who was suicidal and possibly armed.

The deputy reports that it was now possible to begin talking to the subject using his name, but he still did not respond to requests. The man then placed something on the ground next to a tree and took off running with his gun.

The deputy reports that officers decided to move up to his car and take a position there to see where he was going. At the vehicle, the deputy located a blue zipper bag containing papers next to the tree.

The man continued to run, heading up a hill located some distance away. Two deputies were sent up the hill on a side road to see if they could contain him, while two troopers headed up the hill as well. The remaining trooper and deputy remained on scene.

The deputy reports checking the vehicle and observing an empty gun in the back seat and some unexpended shotgun shells. He also found a piece of paper with some writing on it, which reportedly said something to the effect that, “She shamed me for getting the vaccine.”

The note was signed with the subject’s first name.

The deputy then heard a gunshot coming from the direction of the hill. He notified dispatch, but could see that the subject had made it to the top of the hill and was moving around with his shotgun.

Three more deputies arrived on scene, as well as the negotiator. EMS was requested to move up to the location near the vehicle and soon after two more Campbell County deputies arrived with the bomb squad robot, which was loaded into a pickup and taken up with the other units on the hill.

Units continued to monitor the subject as he lay under a tree, while the units on top of the hill continued to move in an attempt to make contact. After some time, the deputy reports that units on top of the hill notified that they were going to make contact.

The subject was hit with “less than lethal” rounds and taken into custody before being assessed by EMS units. He was taken to Campbell County Hospital and his shotgun and ammunition were taken into safekeeping, while the vehicle was impounded.