Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were called to the 8500 block of Ooltewah-Georgetown Road earlier this afternoon to check on the well- being of a male resident who had threatened to harm himself. When they arrived on scene the party refused to communicate with the deputies but did make numerous comments regarding harming himself. Due to the seriousness of the situation, the decision was made to have the SWAT team respond along with the Hostage Negotiation Team.

The Hostage Negotiation Team set up and made contact with the party via phone. After a short time of talking with the party he agreed to meet deputies outside his residence, where he was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.

The professionalism and empathy of the Negotiator along with the fact he was known to the subject certainly helped this tense situation end successfully.