Police spent hours trying to talk with an armed man “in emotional crisis” who was refusing to come out of his car, Juneau Police Department Lt. Krag Campbell said, but a family member was eventually able to convince the man to put down his gun and come out of the car.
“Family did an amazing job talking to him,” Campbell said on the scene afterward.
The man — who Campbell did not identify because the man was not charged with anything — appeared to be in his 40s, Campbell said. The car was located just off the road a couple miles past Echo Cove on Glacier Highway, approximately mile 36. The man had a handgun, Campbell said, but was not threatening anyone else.
“He has not committed any crimes,” Campbell said after about two hours of trying to talk with the man, “but there’s concern for his well-being.”
From about 7:20-8:15 p.m., the man spoke on the phone with his older sister, who eventually convinced him to leave his gun behind and come out of the car.
The man walked slowly forward as officers came to him and led him to a police car. He was then taken to the hospital for further evaluation, Campbell said.
Police arrived on the scene at around 4 p.m., Campbell said, and Campbell said the man had been in the car since much earlier than that. Campbell didn’t speculate much on the man’s possible reasons for distress, saying there “appeared to be some ongoing issues” in the man’s life.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
