Deputies Have Standoff with Suicidal Man

No one was injured after a five-hour standoff involving deputies and an armed man in Norris.

On Monday, deputies were called to the scene at 125 Old Schoolhouse Rd in the Norris Community after receiving reports that a man was outside the residence armed with a handgun. Deputies arrived within four minutes of receiving the 911 call to find Jason Harrison of 314 Horeshoe Rd, in Seneca, standing beside a vehicle with a semi-automatic pistol pointed at his chest.

Deputies immediately began to talk with Harrison in efforts to persuade him to put the weapon down. The Pickens County Sheriff’s SWAT Team was deployed and negotiators from the Crisis Intervention Team made contact with Harrison via a cellphone.

Deputies quickly learned that the situation stemmed from a domestic dispute and that Mr. Harrison was contemplating taking his own life. His children, unharmed but frightened, were close in a nearby residence.

Traffic onto Old Schoolhouse Rd was diverted for several hours as negotiators continued to speak with Harrison. Sheriff’s deputies made contact with neighbors and bystanders informing them of the situation. Steps were taken to insure their safety throughout the ordeal.

Approximately five hours elapsed before Mr. Harrison surrendered to deputies bringing the tense standoff to a peaceful conclusion.

Sheriff Rick Clark, who was in command of the scene, stated that “at no time did Mr. Harrison make any threats to harm anyone other than himself. Our primary concern is for the safety of this community and for Mr. Harrison and his family.”

The sheriff’s office transported Mr. Harrison to a local hospital where he was being evaluated for depression and any other conditions that may have contributed to this incident.

A fully, loaded 9mm handgun was recovered at the scene. Sheriff Clark commended not only his deputies for their quick response but also for the cooperation from the community.

“Unfortunately, we were forced to disrupt the normal day to day activities of the neighbors within the area but their cooperation played a huge role in perhaps saving Mr. Harrison’s life. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about…helping others when they have lost hope.”

No charges are expected to be filed against Mr. Harrison.