By Scott Edger
Little Apple Post
Riley County police officers were forced to shoot a 79-year-old man with rubber bullets in the middle of Bluemont Avenue Tuesday, after the non-compliant man brandished two firearms in a standoff just before noon today.
Riley County police responded to the 1000 block of Bluemont Avenue Wednesday morning for a report of a female in crisis.
An RCPD officer was responding to the woman when the man arrived and contacted the officer, parking his vehicle on the street and failing to follow the officer’s orders.
Authorities say the man, later identified as 79-year-old Stanley Hoerman of Manhattan, had at least one firearm in the bed of his truck, and they are unclear as to why the man stopped his vehicle or why he would not comply.
A nearly 30-minute standoff in the middle of Bluemont Avenue ensued between RCPD officers and the Hoerman.
Police blocked off the street during the standoff. The public was asked through the Northeast Kansas Regional Notification System to avoid the area.
Aaron Wintermote from the RCPD said that officers soon realized the man was having a mental health episode. One of the department’s mental health co-responders quickly arrived on the scene to attempt to de-escalate the situation.
Eventually Hoerman brandished a shotgun pulled from the bed of his pickup. Police ordered him to drop the weapon, which he did. Shortly thereafter the man picked up another shotgun and, after the man failed to comply with another order to disarm, officers fired at least five rubber rounds to subdue him.
Several rounds appeared to strike the Hoerman before he began to fall and officers converged on him.
Wintermote said RCPD officers are well-trained in dealing with mental health extremes and do all they can to avoid force in this type of situation.
Hoerman was examined for minor injuries at Via Christi and released to police. He is currently in custody at the Riley County on requested charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and aggravated interference with law enforcement.