Photo: Christopher Sage
Originally published as a Redding Police Department Facebook post –
“On Tuesday, December 21st, at 3:57 P.M. officers responded to a report of a subject drinking alcohol in the front yard of a private residence in the 1400 block of Riverside Dr.
Officers were advised this subject, later identified as Christopher Sage, 35 years of Redding, was possibly in possession of a firearm.
Officers arrived on scene and Sage made statements about making the police shoot him (suicide by cop). Officers learned Sage had recently been released from prison, and he said it was his fifth prison term.
Sage was actively drinking whiskey from a bottle and would not comply with officers’ lawful orders.
Officers quickly recognized potential mental health issues displayed by Sage. The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) responded and began negotiating with Sage.
After about 20 minutes of negotiating it was clear Sage was not going to follow directions. After multiple warnings, officers fired a single less lethal round into Sage’s abdomen which had little, to no effect.
The less lethal round provided the distraction necessary for officers to close the gap between them and Sage. After a brief struggle Sage was safely taken into custody. He was later booked into the Shasta County Jail for resisting arrest and trespassing. Members of CIRT will follow up with SAGE when he is released from custody.”
