Coroner’s office releases new details on fatal standoff

The man was experiencing a mental health crisis

More information has been released about a standoff near Copalis Crossing last week that ended in a death.

The man at the center of the incident was a 52-year-old Hoquiam man suffering a mental health crisis, said Grays Harbor County Coroner George Kelley.

Personnel from the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office attempted to contact the man at a residence after a 911 caller said that a man had killed himself, The Daily World previously reported. A second call, this time from a different person, said that a man at that address was having a mental health crisis.

The man took a shot at deputies responding to the call, striking a patrol vehicle, prompting a rapid and substantial response from departments around the area.

Deputies attempted to communicate with the man before the conversation was abruptly terminated, The Daily World previously reported. The county’s Crisis Response Unit closed on the trailer and found the man dead.

The man died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head at about 2:45 p.m., Kelley said. Drugs or alcohol did not appear to be a major factor, Kelley said, describing the man as a “person in crisis.”

The sheriff’s office has finished their investigation in the incident and no charges are forthcoming, said Undersheriff Kevin Schrader.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or having suicidal ideation is strongly encouraged to call 988, the Suicide Prevention Hotline, for assistance, Kelley said, or to reach out to friends or family.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.