MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — One person is receiving a mental health evaluation following a standoff and fire over the weekend on Aaron Creek Road.
Deputies from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the home at 1 p.m. for welfare check when the subject experienced a mental health breakdown.
“Upon their arrival they were greeted by a male who was cllearly having a psychological crisis,” Forbes said.
A crisis negotiator maintained contact with the suspect for several hours in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully.
“At that point in time the individual did not want come out of the house,” Forbes said. “He hadn’t commited a crime but we still needed to make sure he was ok.”
Hours into the standoff, the individual started a fire in the garage that spead to the residence.
“Finally he came out, I think it got so uncomfortable in the house for him at that point he came out unharmed and witout incident,” Forbes said. “We were able to get him the help he needed and I think the house is a total loss.”
The suspect then surrendered to police and was taken to a local hospital for a mental health eveluation.
“We just needed to make sure the neighborhood was safe,” Forbes said. “We wanted to make sure he was ok as well, as long he was not threat to anyone else we didn;t need to rush in there and do more than we did.”
Volunteer firefighters from Clinton and Brookhaven assisted at the scene.