St. Tammany Sheriff's deputies attempting to take an apparently suicidal man in to protective custody found themselves having to use deadly force when the subject brandished a gun.
It happened in Lacombe Wednesday night, according to STPSO Captain Scott Lee.
A family had contacted sheriff's with concerns about their son, they said in somekind of mental crisis. Responding deputies came to take the individual into protective custody and transport him to an emergency room.
Deputies arrived at the home off Fish Hatchery and Oak Cove Drive in Lacombe around 9pm. They entered the home and were confronted by the man who was armed with a gun.
Captain Lee says officers deployed the less lethal tazer weapon in the hopes of subduing the man, but it was ineffective.
That's when the man raised a gun, threatening the deputies, which ultimately resulted in the officers taking defensive action.
"In this case, we're very fortunate that none of our officers were injured. It is very unfortunate that an individual lost their life, but it certainly speaks volumes about the danger our deputies face every day on the streets," Captain Lee told WWL-TV.
The man was shot by deputies and died at the scene. The deputies were not injured.
The three deputies involved were not injured have been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation.
STPSO has not released the name or age of the man.