Winton man threatens to 'kill the president,’ asks to be shot outside city hall

A Winton man attempting to commit "suicide by cop" was subdued outside Atwater City Hall on Thursday, according to police.

Atwater police were called about 2:39 p.m. from employees at Citibank in the 700 block of Bellevue Road, where a man began saying he wanted someone to shoot him and that he was going to "kill the president," according to Sgt. Dayton Snyder.

As officers were en route to the bank, police said, the 39-year-old Winton man headed next door to City Hall. The man, who police said may be homeless, then began pacing outside of City Hall.

According to police, officers confronted the man outside. He acted like he had weapon in his waistband. Standing roughly 20 feet away, police repeatedly told the man to display his hands.

One of the officers fired four rounds from a bean-bag gun, striking the man, police said. Snyder said the black item in the man's waistband ended up being a leather wallet.

"It could have been a very bad outcome," he said.

Police said 15 to 20 people were working inside City Hall, not including the citizens conducting business. The man could face criminal threat charges for his actions in the bank, police said, adding he will be assessed by mental health experts.

Chief Samuel Joseph praised his officers, saying they handled the situation calmly and professionally.

"Our officers are very well trained. I work very hard on that," he said. "If you rush, someone could get killed.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Winton man threatens to 'kill the president,’ asks to be shot outside city hall."