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Police in Mobile, Alabama have identified the victim of Monday’s drawn out standoff as Terrance Duncan. The town’s “Government Plaza” was cordoned off by officers for several hours as they tried to talk him into surrendering and getting help. By mid-afternoon, Mr. Duncan was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Standoff ends in tragedy
Police have identified the victim of Monday’s “hours-long standoff on Government Street” as Terrance Duncan, age 46. The incident began to unfold around 10:00 a.m. Monday morning, when Mobile Police responded to Government Plaza.
They were rolling on a call of “a man with a gunshot wound.” As cops carefully approached the indicated vehicle, the wounded occupant “pointed a gun at officers.”
For safety, the police pulled back and alerted the SWAT team. Soon the plaza was crawling with various law enforcement agencies. As noted by the local Fox affiliate, a “prolonged standoff ensued.”
Additional reports explain that police got the initial call “indicating a person inside the car, a silver Honda sedan, in front of the Plaza had suffered a gunshot wound. When emergency responders arrived to render assistance, the man inside the car held a gun to his own head and threatened to shoot himself.”
Negotiators did their best to reason with Mr. Duncan and for nearly five hours, all the police could do was contain the situation and keep bystanders out of harm’s way as the standoff dragged on.
At first, they used a bullhorn then managed to get a phone to him. After being “mostly uncooperative” through the morning, they eventually had a breakthrough.
Armored Mental Health Unit
There was a change in the situation just after 12:30 p.m., when mental health professionals in an armored vehicle were able to establish communication. He was bleeding when paramedics had first arrived but he waved them off with his gun.
By 12:45 p.m. they knew his name and confirmed he had been injured. According to Chief Paul Prine that up until then during the standoff, “the armed man had only threatened to harm himself and had made no threats to law enforcement officers or others.” That meant they could “wait him out.”
Around 3:00, Duncan got tired of waiting and the standoff ended. That’s when he fired off two “provocation shots” at officers. Police were smart enough not to shoot back. “Then the armed man exited the car and walked onto the sidewalk with a gun held to his own head. After a few moments he reentered the vehicle.”
That’s when the armored mental health team “rammed the suspect car and pinned it into place against a pole.” While police “fired several rounds of teargas at the car, Duncan “spun the car’s wheels attempting to leave the scene.”
As police moved in on the Honda, “Duncan exited the vehicle and shot himself in the head. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Officials confirmed at 5 p.m. that Duncan had died.”
After the standoff was over, his widow explained “her husband had been dealing with mental issues and depression, adding there were not many valuable resources in the state to help with his situation.” He was a great husband, but that “his sickness had taken a toll.“
