On January 17 at 3:35 p.m., an officer working the Galleria at Tyler advised that Galleria security was watching a male who had pulled a knife on them earlier in the day.  The officer requested assistance from patrol officers in the area.

When the officers arrived in the area, a foot pursuit ensued and the knife wielding suspect fled into traffic on Tyler.  He eventually ran to the area of the Target store.

The suspect stopped and turned on the officers still holding the knife.

He was ordered at gunpoint to drop the knife but did not comply.   He then placed the knife to his own throat.

Several more commands were given and the suspect did not comply continuing to hold the knife against his throat.

When the suspect began cutting his own throat with the knife, one of the officers deployed a Taser striking the suspect and immobilizing him.  This allowed the officers the opportunity to disarm him and place him into custody.

Medical aid was summoned to the scene and, during the search of the suspect, several other knives were found hidden in various places on his body.

He was transported to the hospital and treated for self-inflicted non-life threatening wounds then was booked into Robert Presley Detention Center for possession of concealed knife, brandishing a knife and resisting a police officer during the performance of his duties.

He is identified as Guy Reed, 31, a transient from Riverside.

“The officers showed amazing restraint in an incident that presented various tactical and officer safety dilemmas.  The suspect’s actions allowed the officer the opportunity to safely deploy the Taser.  The officer deploying the Taser stopped the suspect from taking his own life and prevented the suspect from hurting anyone else” said Lieutenant Chuck Griffitts, Watch Commander for the shift.

Filed under Headline

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

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