A standoff with police at a home west of Bruce ended after midnight Sunday night when the subject shot himself in the foot.
Jerry B. White Sr., 65, of New York, had barricaded himself in the bedroom of the home where he was staying with his ex-wife at 1028 Hwy 32 W, around 10 miles from Bruce.
Sheriff Pollan
Sheriff Greg Pollan said they were called to the house two times that day– the first around 2:15 p.m. for a family disturbance with White and his two daughters. Pollan said that the situation calmed down, and the daughters left the house.
One of the daughters called 911 again at 8 p.m. and said White had pulled a gun, threatening to shoot them, himself or law enforcement.
When Deputy Dean Poynor arrived this time, White had locked himself in the back bedroom of the house.
Pollan said they tried to negotiate with him to come out for about an hour. White at first was responsive to them, but after a while, stopped communications.
In addition to the gun, Pollan said there were more than 30 types of medication in the bedroom.
He called the SWAT team who got to the scene around 9:45 p.m. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to communicate with White, they became concerned about his welfare.
Pollan said then he got a call from dispatch that White had called them and to relay the message that if they gave him a cigarette, he would consider coming out.
They were then able to talk to White on a phone extension. After failed attempts from the SWAT commander to get him to leave the room, White told them he had only one bullet which was for himself and it was safe to enter the room.
Law enforcement officials continued to ask him to throw the weapon out of the bedroom.
After hearing a single gunshot, White then picked up the phone and told police he had shot himself in the foot, and it was safe to come in.
Officers didn’t enter the home, until White crawled to the kitchen tossing the pistol to the front door.
Pollan said the ambulance was near the scene on stand-by. They took White to Baptist Hospital in Oxford and then to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis due to the severity of his injury,
Pollan said White will be charged with aggravated domestic violence.
Calhoun Sheriff’s Dept. was assisted by Bruce and Calhoun City Police Departments, MHP and MBI.