Local Suicide Attempts Foiled By Deputies
Mesa County, Colo. -- Deputy Bunch was just over midway through his patrol shift last Wednesday when he was dispatched to a suicidal male on F Road, in the Clifton area. It was 1:23 a.m.
Deputy Bunch arrived at the residence, where he located an adult male in the front yard surrounded by several people. The man in the yard had a strong smell of gasoline on him and a lighter in his hand. Deputy Bunch asked the man if he would speak with him and he agreed.
Through the course of the short conversation, on the front lawn, Deputy Bunch determined the man was upset over his girlfriend attempting suicide just a few days prior. He expressed several frustrations and made disparaging comments.
Ultimately, Deputy Bunch was able to talk the man into handing over the lighter. Emergency medical personnel checked the man out initially on-scene and then transported him to the local VA Hospital for further evaluation.
And just yesterday, Deputy Brooks responded to a suicidal female on D Road, in the middle of the day. This 18-year-old woman initially admitted to trying to overdose on a controlled prescription drug and then tried to inject paint thinner into her body intravenously.
Ultimately, Deputy Brooks transported the woman to Mind Springs for mental health treatment.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the Mesa County Health Department recently published some local information on the topic. Additional information can be found at the Western Colorado Suicide Prevention Foundation website.
