Deputy Delivering Warrant Saves Suspect From Suicide Attempt

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While serving a warrant last month, deputies came across a nearly deadly situation in Aberdeen.

The warrant apprehension unit was seeking a woman wanted for a misdemeanor, Lt. Mark Junkerman of the Harford county Sheriff’s Office said.

Officers went to the address listed on the warrant, where the suspect’s grandmother opened the door, according to Junkerman. She gave deputies permission to search the house, but the wanted woman was nowhere to be found.

“One of the deputies noticed there was a trap door with crawl space access in the closet, so he went under house,” Junkerman told Patch. “He found the young lady, who had wrapped an electrical cord around her neck and tried to hang herself.”

The deputy sprang into action; he took the cord from her neck and got her out of the crawl space. She was able to be resuscitated and was taken to the hospital, where she is expected to recover, Junkerman said.

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Usually the warrant apprehension unit does not come across such extreme situations.

“That is the exception rather than the rule,” said Junkerman, who oversees six units including warrant apprehension.

“If you communicate properly and you treat people with respect, a lot of times they will go without incident,” he said.

Some people who are wanted on a warrant say they will surrender and request that they not be handcuffed in front of their kids or at their job.

“For whatever reason that only probably she knows, [the woman in Aberdeen] chose to make an attempt to complete suicide as opposed to surrendering,” Junkerman said. “In my mind, you have to be in an incredible amount of pain or distress to want to end your existence.”

He said many officers are trained in mental health first aid and crisis intervention.

“Deputies did an exceptional job,” said Junkerman of the Aberdeen warrant incident. “I’m really proud of the guys.”

The National Suicide Prevention hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.