Suicidal man facing charges after provoking Brown County police shooting

Brown County authorities plan to file charges against a man who was shot by a deputy while allegedly trying to commit “suicide by cop.”

Brown County Prosecutor Ted Adams released the results yesterday of an Indiana State Police investigation into the April 20th shooting on Mount Liberty Road. According to the report, Brown County dispatchers received a call that night about a suicidal man at the home and a deputy responded. After talking to family members, the deputy entered the back yard where he found a man with a holstered revolver. During discussions between the man and his family members, the man pulled the weapon and the deputy responded by pulling his own gun.

The man then pointed his .357 Magnum revolver at the deputy while also striking the officer’s hand and weapon. The man also pointed the weapon at his own head, at bystanders, at the deputy again and waved it in the air, asking to be shot by the deputy. When the man pointed the weapon at the deputy for a third time, the officer fired three times, hitting the man twice and disarming him.

The deputy then began providing medical aid to the man. The suicidal man was taken to IU Methodist Hospital for treatment and he survived.

The man’s weapon turned out to be unloaded.

Adams said that the deputy showed remarkable restraint and stressed that the officer had only 14 seconds to make the decision on firing his weapon from the time the man first drew the gun from his holster. Overall, the officer issued 14 commands to the man, telling him to drop his weapon repeatedly and to get back.

Adams said that his office plans to file criminal charges against the suicidal man. Neither the man’s nor the deputy’s names have been released.