A Picayune man committed suicide during an interaction with a Picayune Police officer Thursday afternoon.
Picayune Police Chief Bryan Dawsey said the incident began as a domestic call when officers responded to the home of the deceased’s ex-girlfriend, located on Browning Circle, at about 3:30 p.m.
Officers arrived to find the man, later identified as 40-year-old James Christopher Sveen, of 902 Telly Road, had already left the area. Upon speaking with the female complainant, officers were told that she did not want Sveen to come back to her home and were given a description of his vehicle and approximate address of his home, Dawsey said.
The officer went to the area of Telly Road to tell Sveen that his ex-girlfriend did not want him back at her home.
The officer found Sveen’s vehicle just as it was pulling up to his home on Telly Road. After Sveen saw the patrol vehicle approaching, he entered the home, and came back out carrying a semi-automatic pistol, pointing it briefly at the officer, Dawsey said.
The officer pulled his weapon, at which time Sveen dropped his weapon to his side before pointing it in his own mouth, Dawsey said.
Several times Sveen was ordered by the officer to drop his weapon. At one point Sveen dropped the weapon at his side and said he was not going back to jail, Dawsey said. The officer told Sveen he was not going to jail and to drop the weapon.
At the end of the interaction Sveen paused, took a step back toward the door, put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, Dawsey said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Dawsey said.