FCSO: Seven Hour Standoff Ends In Suicide

Palm Coast, FL – A seven hour armed standoff comes to an unfortunate conclusion after a woman takes her own life. The woman—who remains unidentified—was holding her husband at gunpoint on Sunday (April 10), according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were called to the home in Palm Coast Plantation and later called in the help of a crisis negotiation team as the situation unfolded. What exactly led to the incident is not clear at this time. Not long after the standoff began, deputies were able to rescue the husband and his children. But, for the next several hours communication with the woman was near impossible. Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly said the agency relied on a robot, drones and other technology in the hopes of communicating with her. They soon discovered that the woman was armed and holding a gun in a “suicidal manner.” In an attempt to get the woman to surrender, deputies deployed tactical gas. The woman then went outside and walked into her pool. Deputies tried an array of non-lethal weapons to try and disarm, but again to no avail. That’s when the woman shot herself in front of deputies. She was taken out of the pool and given first aid before she was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. “We did all we could to end this incident peacefully without injury,” Staly said. “I’m proud of our team that did everything they could to resolve this situation peacefully. This is not the outcome we were hoping for. But in these situations, we do not control the outcome.” We will pass along updates as they are made available. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please do not hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. There is always help available.