A Banks County man was sent to the hospital for evaluation Thursday night after locking himself inside a local convenience store and telling the cashier his family had been shot. The bloodied man stirred fear inside the store and officers were dispatched to the scene to deal with what authorities believed at the time was a possible hostage situation and shooting.
As it turned out, the man was hallucinating – according to family members – and when officers arrived at the Express Mart on Central Avenue in Demorest he was detained. Demorest Police Chief Robin Krockum was quick to notify the public of the incident through social media to calm concerns and quell any rumors.
“After our initial investigation it was determined that he was being transported to the hospital by a member of his family for a mental evaluation. As they were passing the Express Mart he jumped from the moving vehicle and entered the store while locking the door behind him,” the post states.
The man claimed several members of his family had been shot at his residence in Banks County. Demorest Police coordinated with the Banks County Sheriff’s Office which immediately sent deputies to the residence where they found that the man’s family was unharmed.
Krockum confirms the 50-year old man is from Banks County and was being driven to the hospital by his brother-in-law at the time of the incident. Family indicated that alcohol may have contributed to the man’s condition.
While the situation turned out to be different than what it first appeared to be, it was nonetheless frightening. “…the guy came in and locked the door behind him so they felt threatened at the time,” Chief Krockum says. “He thought that whoever killed his family was coming after him.”
Krockum says the man was bloody from jumping out of the moving vehicle.
The Chief praises the quick response of his officers and Habersham County deputies, some of whom had just left the E-911 Children’s Fun Fest at the county fairgrounds when they got the call. He’s appreciative to Banks County, too, for their cooperation and help. “They were right on top of it,” Krockum says.
Demorest Police transported the man to Habersham County Medical Center for a mental evaluation.
(file photo/Google)
