The Olympia Police Department has opened an investigation to determine what led to the suicide of a man in a west Olympia intersection Saturday.
Lt. Paul Lower said OPD was made aware of a potentially suicidal man heading into Olympia from Mason County at around 4:15 p.m. He was believed to be armed with a 9mm handgun, and he was on his way to buy ammunition from a store in Olympia.
Lower said police were able to get a description of the man's vehicle and an officer found it parked at a gun store. The officer then asked dispatch to contact the gun store to notify them of the situation, but it was too late. The officer saw the man walk out of the store, get back into his car and drive off.
Lower said the officer followed the man and attempted to stop him at the intersection of Cooper Point Road and Harrison Avenue. The man stopped, and another officer arrived on scene to help make a contact attempt. That's when the officers heard a gunshot. They approached the car and found the man had shot himself.
The officers attempted CPR and called the fire department for assistance, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The intersection was closed for a couple of hours.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You can also call, text or chat with someone by dialing 988.
