Disabled Veteran Sues After Police Siege Led to Attempted Suicide

Va. Man Says Police Siege Led to Suicide Attempt
Courthouse News
By Charly Himmel
March 18, 2016

"Wells was not a criminal but it seemed that he was under a brutal military type attack from the police and deputies," the complaint says. "He decided to end it right there and die by his own hand before he'd be taken in this insane situation."

After one failed attempt, Wells says he managed to shoot himself in the chest.

RICHMOND, Va. (CN) - A disabled veteran claims in court that an entirely unwarranted siege at his home by law enforcement officers caused him to try to kill himself.

In a complaint filed in Richmond City Circuit Court, Ronald Elwin Wells Jr. says he was home alone with his dog and watching a baseball game on Sept. 16, 2013, when a police officer showed up at his door, saying he'd been asked to check on Wells by the "welfare department."

Wells says he told the officer he wasn't on welfare, and that in any event, he was fine.

The officer left, and Wells says he went back to watching the game, then promptly fell asleep.

Sometime around 7 p.m. that, the complaint says, Wells was awakened by state troopers who were knocking at his door.

"Wells started to be afraid because of all this attention he was getting for no apparent reason," the complaint says.

He did not answer his door, and he didn't answer it later when, he says "a number of State Troopers or other police type people came in fatigues with helmets and face shields with long guns in their hands."

Wells says in an attempt to remain calm, he went back to watching television. Two hours later, however, he heard someone calling him over a loudspeaker.

At this point, the complaint says, "Wells became really scared."
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