Armed Standoff Ends Peacefully As Charlotte Police Deescalate

CHARLOTTE, NC — An armed man who threatened to harm himself during a standoff with police officers was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital for a medical evaluation for mental health treatment, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Wednesday.

The standoff began around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday evening in the 9200 block of Albemarle Road.

"Upon arrival, officers located an adult male subject who was armed with a firearm and was threatening to kill himself. Officers immediately evacuated the surrounding area and initiated dialogue with the subject in an attempt to get the subject to disarm and let the officers help him through his crisis," CMPD said in a statement.

CMPD Operations Command, Community Policing Crisis Response Team members, Medic, and the Charlotte Fire Department responded to the scene. A CMPD SWAT supervisor and officer also responded to advise the patrol officers, however, the department's SWAT unit was not deployed.

While officers attempted to keep the man talking, he fired rounds into the ground, "then returned the firearm back to a position pointed at his own head," CMPD said.

He never pointed his weapon or fired at officers or bystanders, police said, adding, "No officers fired their weapons during this incident."

"Through continued dialogue with the subject, the subject eventually put the firearm down and complied in being taken into custody by the officers on scene," CMPD said. "Officers and Medic transported the subject to an area hospital to be medically evaluated and to determine the next steps of mental health treatment."

Anyone who is struggling can get help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by texting HOME to 741741.