Elderly man shoots self at Cottonwood Police building

Suicide note indicates he was upset over DUI charge

COTTONWOOD -- A 74-year-old man is dead after shooting himself in the head in the lobby of the Cottonwood Public Safety building Tuesday afternoon, according to Cottonwood Police.

According to a suicide note found on the man, he was upset about a DUI charge he received from a Cottonwood officer late last year. The lobby was closed for the rest of the day Tuesday.

A family member contacted police earlier to check on the man because they were concerned he was suicidal.

Cottonwood Police Sgt. Monica Kuhlt said when officers arrived at the man’s residence, they saw him sitting on the couch on the telephone. He refused to answer the door even after he hung up the phone.

“Officers communicated with him through the window but he refused to talk to them,” she said. “Officers left and contacted the family member.”

According to police, the man later walked into the lobby of the Cottonwood Public Safety building, sat on the ground and shot himself once in the head with a .38 caliber revolver that belonged to him.

Students from an EMT/Paramedic refresher course heard the gunshot from a training room in the building. They gave the man medical treatment and was later transported to the hospital. He was later pronounced dead at the Verde Valley Medical Center.

Kuhlt said the city provides an Employee Assistance Program and confidential counseling for employees.

“In addition, command staff followed up with civilian and sworn employees to see how they were doing and to make sure they were aware of EAP,” she said.