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Last updated on Wednesday, December 14, 2016
(BEDFORD) - A stand off with a suicidal man ended peacefully Monday thanks to the patience and understanding of two Lawrence County Police officer.
At 2:37 p.m., two Lawrence County Sheriff's Department Officers went to a residence at 83 Walnut Heights Road to attempt to serve an arrest warrant on 46-year-old John Turner.
Turner was wanted on warrants for battery and strangulation.
Officers spoke to Turner's mother who owns two trailers on the property and they were told that he was not there, but had lived in the trailer next door in the past.
Officers were given permission by the owner to search the trailer for Turner.
There was no electricity in the trailer and the windows were all covered making it extremely dark inside.
While searching the trailer, one of the officers found Turner hiding behind furniture with a small handgun to his head, threatening to harm himself.
Both officers immediately started trying to de-escalate the situation and called for backup.
"The handgun was never pointed toward officers and the wanted male did not threaten to harm anyone other than himself," says Sheriff Mike Branham.
Officers continued a dialogue with Turner for approximately 90 minutes.
While officers spoke to Turner, ambulance and first responders were placed on standby near the scene. The Emergency Response Team was placed on standby, and Indiana State Police were contacted to send a crisis negotiator to the scene.
"Fortunately, none of those were needed," Sheriff Branham added. "After about 90 minutes, Mr. Turner put down the firearm and surrendered peacefully. Thanks to the calm and measured initial response of the officers on scene and the continued dialogue established by those officers and their backup officers with Mr. Turner, a very dangerous situation was resolved with no one being harmed. We could not ask for a better response and outcome for everyone involved, and I am extremely proud of the responding officers for what they did to make that happen."
The warrants were issued for Turner's arrest after a woman went to St. Vincent Dunn Hospital for treatment after she had been battered.
On Nov. 23, a Lawrence County Police Department officer went to the hospital, so the woman could file a battery complaint,
According to Lawrence Superior Court I probable cause affidavit, the woman, who was living with Turner at the time of the incident became angry because her nephew did not visit them at their home,
She told police Turner shoved her, then punched her in the left eye. The woman told police she attempted to get away, but Turner kept shoving her.
The woman says Turner then grabbed her around the neck, choking her until she couldn't breathe.
The woman says Turner told her - "I'm going to die tonight or you're going to die, your choice."
She also told police that Turner told her if she attempted to leave, he would get his gun.
The woman eventually got away from Turner, then called her sister to pick her up..
The affidavit states the woman suffered bruising and swelling to her eye, nearly causing it to shut completely. She also had red marks and scratches on her neck and heavy bruising to a leg.
Turner is being held at the Lawrence County Jail without bond because he was on probation from a domestic battery charge filed by the same woman in January.
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