By Jeff West

SDN Staff Writer

A standoff between local law officers and a man threatening suicide that lasted over two hours ended without serious injury Monday night.

According to Snyder Police Sgt. Brian Haggard, police were dispatched to 1007 21st Street at 5:26 Monday afternoon concerning a dispute between Alfred Hermosillo and his mother.

When Haggard arrived along with Cpl. Trey Wilson, the two found Hermosillo in a back bedroom holding a kitchen knife to his own throat and threatening to kill himself. The two officers started negotiating with the man. Haggard said the man kept asking the officers to shoot him but was told they only wanted to get him some help.

Officers Lee Ortiz and Travis Griffith soon arrived to help secure the scene and Police Chief Steve Warren and Sheriff Darren Jackson helped with the negotiations.

At one point in the negotiations Warren offered Hermosillo a cigarette and he put down the knife and eventually threw the weapon outside a door.

According to Warren, Hermosillo had smoked about half a cigarette when he again became agitated and said he had another knife. The suspect then reached for a drawer in a nightstand. Not giving Hermosillo a chance to obtain another weapon, Haggard sprayed the man with pepper spray. Hermosillo immediately fell to the ground where he was handcuffed without further incident. Hermosillo was taken outside where officers used a water hose to wash the pepper spray off the man and then he was placed in a squad car.

Hermosillo again became agitated while in the car and managed to kick the left side glass out of the police unit.

At that point law enforcement officials, with help from Snyder EMS personnel, secured Hermosillo to a stretcher and took him to the hospital to make sure he suffered no serious injuries. He was later taken to Big Spring State Hospital by state Mental Health and Mental Retardation officials.

The incident is still under investigation and potential charges against the suspect are pending.