Fairfield Man Arrested After Alleged Suicide-By-Cop Attempt

A despondent Fairfield man allegedly attempted to commit suicide Saturday morning by trying to get police to shoot him, police said.

An officer encountered the man shortly before noon while he was patrolling an alley behind the Country Corner shopping complex. The man stepped out from behind a parked BMW, faced the approaching officer, and allegedly said "shoot me" and reached into his jacket as if to retrieve a gun, according to police.

The officer made verbal commands to the man, which he refused. However, other officers arrived quickly and the man was taken into custody after a brief standoff.

Police have since learned that the man, a 65-year-old Fairfield resident, has been despondent over being homeless and having health problems. Witnesses saw him parked near the alley for approximately 2 hours, and told police that he asked people in the area when police would come by.

A suicide note was found in his car that referred to him waiting to be shot by the police. The man was taken to North Bay Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.