Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office deputies were able to talk a potentially suicidal man into dropping the knife he had pointed at his own throat on Sunday.
UCSO deputies arrested Urbano Miranda Cazares Jr., 28, at a residence on Highway 332 near Milton-Freewater and charged him with violation of a restraining order.
Deputy Jeff Brown arrived at the residence after Cazares’ family reported that he was inside the residence in violation of the valid restraining order. Cazares Jr. was armed with a knife when Brown contacted him in one of the bedrooms inside the house. Cazares Jr. held the knife to his own throat and threatened to kill himself. According to the sheriff’s office, Brown elected to contain the scene and attempted to talk Cazares Jr. into dropping the knife. Cazares Jr. refused and said he was not going back to jail.
UCSO Deputies Jon Roberts, Cody Marcum, Nathan Rankin, Tyler Bigot and Rowen Hayes, along with an Oregon State Police trooper and two Walla Walla County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to assist. Hayes took over speaking with Cazares Jr. and was able to calm him to the point where he put the knife down.
The deputies negotiated with Cazares Jr. for nearly an hour before eventually taking Cazares Jr. into custody. Deputies lodged Cazares Jr. in the Umatilla County Jail and he was scheduled for a mental health evaluation with Lifeways.
