Jennings County deputies talked an intoxicated man out of shooting himself in the head, according to Lt. Mike Mowery, spokesman for the department.

Mowery says that deputies were called to a report of an intoxicated person at a home on County Road 700W on Saturday afternoon. Deputy Garrett Hoppock found a man holding a handgun to his head and threatening to shoot himself. Mowery said that Hoppock talked the man into putting the handgun down. The man told deputies that he wanted police to shoot him, so he didn’t have to shoot himself.

The man was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital’s stress center for treatment and evaluation. Jennings County Sheriff Gary Driver praised Hoppock and Deputy Cody Low for their patience and said their training paid off.