The suspect, 24-year-old Zachary Lucas Olivar, has a “history of mental illness,” Jones County Sheriff RN Reece said.
“We have received reports that he has been in trouble over the last week, with several attempts by his family to get them to help him,” Reece said in a post on the sheriff’s office Facebook account.
CNN tried to contact Olivar’s family, but has not received a response and has not been able to confirm his mental health.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning during a traffic stop, a Sunday post from the sheriff’s office said. In video of the incident released by the bureau, the officer can be seen interacting for several minutes with Olivar, who is sitting in a white car on the side of the road.
At one point, the deputy asks Olivar, “Are you okay, man? Do I need to get you an ambulance?” to which the man replied, “No sir, I’m just very cold.” He later began to repeat “this is my house” when the officer asked him several times to get out of the car.
The video then shows the man pull out a gun covered in what appears to be a towel and shoot Officer John Kile in the chest.
Kile’s bulletproof vest “saved his life,” the sheriff wrote on Facebook, and the deputy was able to call in to report the incident and pursue the suspect.
Olivar was taken into custody and is being held at the Jones County Sheriff’s Office without bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Unfortunately, we hear about situations like this on a regular basis,” Reece said on Facebook. “Families struggle to get help for their loved ones with mental health issues, yet it seems too often these individuals fall under the radar. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes an incident like this to show how important accessibility to care really is.” mental health care.”
“Our hope is that this incident will bring about much-needed change in the mental health system,” the sheriff said, adding that he hopes “our legislature can be a driving force behind this change.”
Olivar is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, one felony count of possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of the crime, one felony count of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and two misdemeanors, reckless driving and lack of lane maintenance. according to arrest warrants issued Tuesday.
Kile was treated and released from a local medical facility after the shooting, the sheriff’s office said.
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