FCSO: Man With Toy Gun Suspected Of Wanting To Commit "Suicide By Cop"

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Flagler County, FL - A 21-year-old man was baker acted on Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly tried to commit suicide by cop.

A Flagler County Sheriff's deputy assigned to the Flagler County courthouse heard an ongoing argument in a moving car in the parking lot just before 2:30 PM on March 21, so he approached the vehicle. The black Nissan was being driven by a woman and her 21-year-old son was in the passenger seat. The mother yelled to the deputy that her son had a gun.

The deputy went for cover and drew his gun, giving commands to the mother and son. The women grabbed the gun from her son and tossed it out the driver's side window towards the deputy. The 2 then got out of the car with their hands in the air. The man was taken into custody under the state's Baker Act and was transported to get mental health treatment.

The gun turned out to be a toy, but it didn't have the orange markers toy guns usually have, making it look like a real weapon.

The woman told deputies that she'd been driving around the courthouse parking lot trying to get the attention of law enforcement out of concern for her son. Based on statements he made to deputies, FCSO believes the 21-year-old may have been trying to commit suicide by cop by flashing what looked like a real gun.

“This situation could have ended tragically,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Our deputies showed great restraint in de-escalating the situation instead of engaging the subject. This emotionally disturbed person may have been seeking to end his life. Our deputies did exactly what they were trained to do and I am very proud of them.”

Vido of the incident can be seen here.

Video and photo of the toy gun courtesy FCSO.

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