MARIES COUNTY — Maries County Deputies, the Maries County Conservation Agent and a member of the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group responded to a mental health crisis on Oct. 17 near Vichy.

According to Maries County Chief Deputy Scott John, a woman from Cole County reported that her boyfriend, also of Cole County, had made suicidal statements and was on his way to a family property near Vichy. The man had a handgun and threatened to shoot anyone who interfered with him, including law enforcement.

After obtaining the address, five Maries County personnel responded a little after 3 p.m. and conducted a foot search of the property. Law enforcement used phone data to narrow the search to a 40-60 acre area of the property. They found the man hiding in some brush. A deputy and the conservation agent approached the man. The man saw the conservation agent, but not the deputy, who was about 10 yards away through thick brush. John said the man shouted a warning to come no closer, and just shoot him, before the man fired a round.

They could not tell which direction he fired the shot. John said when the shot came over the radio, it was the last thing he wanted to hear.

The responders stopped about 30 yards from the man and made verbal contact. He continued making threatening statements and trying to provoke the officers to shoot him. After about 15 minutes, the responders talked him down. Law enforcement removed the handgun from his possession. They walked him to an ambulance, which transported him to a medical center in Jefferson City for mental health evaluation. Law enforcement cleared the scene around 6:30 p.m.

Law enforcement filed a report for the prosecutor, but John said their goal is to safely get the individual through his mental health crisis.

John said the officers were able to use skills they learned during Critical Intervention Training. The training teaches law enforcement ways to respond to instances of mental health crises and intoxication that will improve outcomes for everyone involved. All officers on the scene had been to Critical Intervention Training except for the LANEG agent. The training happened during two weeks of March.

Sheriff Chris Heitman commended the law enforcement involved. 

“This outcome could have ended much differently than what it did and without the restraint I think someone would have lost a life,” he said.