Suspect Wanted To “Die Today” By Cop
SALINAS—Authorities with the Salinas Police Department arrested 63-year-old Salinas resident Ramon Vargas after a two-hour standoff, in which Vargas wanted to “die today’.
Tuesday afternoon, at 2:08 pm, Vargas went to his daughter’s home on the 200 block of Dennis Avenue in Salinas. An argument ensued as he was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, which is never a good combination.
His daughter suffered a superficial wound after being struck with a large pipe as the argument turned violent. The daughter was able to escape the house along all other occupants and call the police.
Vargas armed himself with an eight-inch kitchen knife and locked himself in the house. He threatened to commit suicide. Salinas Police called in the Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) and the Crisis Intervention Team CIT) from the Monterey County Department of Behavioral Health to assist in the standoff. This was standard protocol.
Officers reported that they negotiated with Vargas for two hours, and during that time he taunted them to shoot him and said “that he would ‘die today’”. Vargas repeatedly poked himself in the abdomen with the knife and became increasing agitated.
Vargas continued to taunt officers to shoot him, and at one point he even challenged them to a fight.
Vargas eventually exited the house still armed with the knife. An officer moved in to make the arrest, but as if to give one last stand, he challenged the officer to a fight, but the officer told him that he unarmed. Vargas threw down the knife and prepared to attack. Two other officers, armed with 40mm nonlethal projectiles, fired and struck Vargas above the knee.
Vargas fell to the ground uninjured and was taken into custody without further incident.
He was transported to Natividad Medical Center for observation and then lodged into the Monterey County Jail.
