Two Albany police officers shot and killed a man in a mental health crisis Wednesday morning after he pointed a gun at them, according to the Albany Police Department.
The officers were initially responding to a welfare check for a man reported to be suicidal in southwest Albany. The police department said the man, later identified as 34-year-old Albany resident Julius Hamilton, was armed and was inside his vehicle at Freeway Lakes Park.
Albany police, with the assistance of Linn County sheriff’s deputies, attempted to contact Hamilton in his vehicle. Some of his family members were nearby. Police said a trained crisis negotiator was on the way to the location.
Officers and deputies said they attempted to calm the situation from a distance and asked Hamilton to drop his weapon. According to Albany police, officers and witnesses saw him move the pistol to his head and back down to his side.
Police report Hamilton then pointed his weapon at officers, and that’s when two officers each fired one round, striking and killing him.
Officers said they immediately moved to provide first aid, but Hamilton was dead.
His family members and other bystanders were uninjured, and no officers were reported to have been harmed.
The two officers involved have been placed on leave as the investigation continues.
The Corvallis Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, in conjunction with the Linn County District Attorney’s Office and the Linn/Benton Major Crimes Team.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.