Suicidal Man Taken into Custody Following Standoff
Authorities transported the armed man to Logan Health for mental health treatment following a standoff in downtown Kalispell
By Maggie Dresser
Flathead County authorities on Wednesday afternoon safely transported an armed, suicidal man to Logan Health for mental health services after he pleaded with law enforcement to shoot him in downtown Kalispell, according to a Kalispell Police Department press release.
Kalispell police officers responded to a report at 12:50 p.m. of a male walking near the VFW Bar in Kalispell who was making suicidal statements to witnesses while displaying a handgun as he walked past them.
Law enforcement located him near the entrance of the Flathead County courthouse where they set up a perimeter and began negotiations. Officers requested additional resources, including a crisis co-responder, negotiators and less lethal tools, according to the news release.
The male continuously walked away from officers, pleaded with them to shoot him and made numerous motions toward a handgun tucked in the front waistband of his jeans for several minutes. With assistance from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, authorities deployed multiple less lethal rounds and took the male into custody without injury.