ST. GEORGE — A suicidal man who sat down in the parking lot of the Mesquite Police Department with a loaded gun is alive after officers were able to speak to him at length until he dropped the weapon and could be taken to a hospital.

Mesquite Police Chief Troy Tanner commended his officers and all involved for their professional conduct in a written statement posted Friday on the department’s Facebook page:

I thank my officers and the Probation and Patrol Officer for acting professionally with this man to safely de-escalate the situation without anyone getting hurt. We hope this man and his family will receive the help that they need to be able to successfully move forward.

The official statement conveys the nature of the call, which occurred Thursday, the response and compassion on the part of everyone who reached out to a man who needed help.

A nearly 12 1/2 minute video of the incident, filmed by a security camera positioned at the back of the Mesquite Police Department and posted on its Facebook page with the press release, is available for viewing here.

The department’s Facebook post follows:

Mesquite Police Talk Down Suicidal Subject in Parking Lot of Police Station:

On Thursday, September 1, at approximately 03:40 P.M., a male subject walked into the Mesquite Police Department’s front lobby, and then exited the front lobby and sat down on a concrete wall in the front parking lot. The male then removed a loaded .357 revolver handgun from a backpack and put it to his head. Mesquite Police Officers and a Nevada Adult Parole and Probation Officer immediately positioned themselves behind cover of the building, setup a safety perimeter around the building, closed the roadways leading to the building, and were close enough to establish communication and begin a dialogue with the subject.

The man was visibly upset and as he continued to threaten to kill himself, officers repeatedly attempted to talk him out of hurting himself or anyone else. The suicidal man eventually removed the gun from his head and placed it in his mouth and turned away from officers. Officers continued to plea with the subject not to hurt himself and to drop his handgun. After approximately 12 minutes of attempting to calm the man down, the man voluntarily dropped the handgun. Officers then quickly and safely approached him and took him into custody. Medical units who were previously placed on standby responded to evaluate the subject. Once medically cleared, the man was transported to Mesa View Regional Hospital and released to the custody of hospital staff in so he would be able to receive any mental health treatment necessary.

At no point during the incident did the suicidal man point his handgun at anyone other than himself, nor did he threaten to harm anyone but himself. The Mesquite Police Department will not be pursuing any criminal charges against this individual, but he is being held in the custody of medical staff for a mental health evaluation. The Mesquite Police Department will not be releasing the suicidal person’s name or information.