RAYMOND — Questions have been swirling about how the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) handled a suicidal-individual incident on May 10 at around 12:22 a.m. The incident has resulted in a family member of the individual writing a letter to the agency requesting an investigation into how it was handled.
The names of all civilian parties involved in the incident are being withheld.
The initiating 911 call was received by the Pacific County 911 Communications Center (PacCom) at 12:07 a.m. when friends of a male in Raymond reported that they had taken a loaded shotgun away from him that had a chambered shell.
Alcohol-induced sadness
According to public records, the sheriff’s office was on scene at 12:22 a.m.
PCSO Deputy Micah Ristow spoke with the witnesses while Deputy Lucas Marthaller spoke with the male. They learned that the two witnesses had been drinking with the male and gave him a ride home.
He reportedly “started causing problems” and “said they could just drop him off and he would walk.”
“He got out of the vehicle and walked into his house,” Ristow said in public records. “They went and turned around and when they passed by the house, they saw [him] standing on the front porch with a shotgun. [One of them] said they were going to just continue driving and call the sheriff’s office but decided that he should do something just in case.”
“He said he went up and took the shotgun from him and emptied the shell that was in the gun. He said the shell is on the ground outside somewhere. He said he was on the front porch when he did that and [the man] closed the door. He said he thought he was being suicidal and said he thought he was headed to his safe to grab another gun, so he kicked in the front door.”
“I asked if he has done anything like this in the past. He said every time [the man] drinks, he gets upset and cries or does something dramatic. He said he has a drinking problem and said he has told [the man] that before. He said [the man] is fine when he doesn’t drink. I asked if he thinks [the man] would be willing to speak with a counselor. He said he would be very hesitant to,” Ristow added.
The man told Marthaller that he did not have any suicidal ideations.
Man’s concern was door
According to public records, Ristow and Marthaller spoke with the “intoxicated” man “for a bit.”
“He didn’t say anything about being suicidal or mention anything about self harm,” Ristow said. “He was talking about future plans of getting his door fixed and wanting to pursue charges against the alleged witness for damages to his door.”
“[He] appeared in a little better mood by the time Deputy Marthaller and I were leaving. He laughed saying how [he] was going to have to barricade his door because his door will not lock due to the damage,” Ristow added.
Ristow reportedly spoke with the man again on May 14, and learned that the alleged witness was not planning to pay for damages and that the man no longer wanted to pursue charges.
According to public records, a designated crisis responder (DCR) was not consulted during the incident, nor was one asked for. The sheriff’s office now has a DCR available Tuesday through Friday, for 10 hours each day — otherwise the agency has to use a tele-health service.
Sheriff’s office: no action necessary
Usually, intoxicated individuals who exhibit suicidal behavior are placed under an Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) hold at a hospital until they are deemed sober, at which point they are then evaluated by a DCR to determine the risk they pose to themselves or others.
“Under Washington State’s Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA), intoxication alone does not meet the legal threshold for involuntary detention,” PCSO Chief Civil Deputy Hollie Billeci said on May 20. “An ITA requires a designated crisis responder or law enforcement officer to have probable cause that a person, as a result of a behavioral health disorder, presents an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others, or is gravely disabled.”
“In this incident, both responding deputies interviewed the subject extensively. The subject explicitly and repeatedly denied any intent of self-harm, displayed a calm demeanor, and was focused on future-oriented actions (specifically, addressing the property damage to his home). Because the legal criteria for an imminent threat under the ITA were not met, there was no lawful basis to detain the individual or initiate a Designated Crisis Responder consult,” Billeci added.
The Observer spoke with other agencies about the details of the incident, and asked them how they would have handled the call. The agencies said they would have placed the individual under an ITA hold until they were sober and subsequently evaluated by a DCR.
Deputies’ decisions challenged
According to public records, a family member of the man sent a formal letter/email on May 27 to multiple administrators at the sheriff’s office, including Sheriff Daniel Garcia.
“I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding the handing of a suicidal crisis call on May 10th, 2026 involving….,” the family member wrote. “Deputies Marthaller and Ristow responded to the report involving a suicidal individual who was in possession of multiple firearms and who was exhibiting behavior that clearly warranted immediate mental health intervention and evaluation for an Involuntary Treatment Act hold.”
“Despite these circumstances, responding deputies failed to initiate an ITA evaluation, failed to secure the firearms, and ultimately left the individual alone in the home with access to those weapons. The deputies were advised of the suicidal concerns and the risk factors present. Nevertheless, no meaningful protection action appears to have been taken. Leaving an actively suicidal individual in possession of firearms demonstrates an alarming failure in judgement, protocol, and crisis response procedures.”
“What makes this matter even more concerning is that the Sheriff’s Office just hired a full-time designated crisis responder and is actively campaigning for additional deputies and increased public funding. While the deputies currently employed are, in this case, failing to properly follow established crisis intervention and public safety protocols. Expanding staffing levels means little if existing personnel are not adequately trained, supervised, or held accountable in high-risk mental health situations.”
“If [the male] had died by suicide that night or does so in the future following this incident, the county could [reasonably] face significant liability due to the apparent failure to act despite knowing warning signs and access to deadly weapons. The decisions made by responding deputies potentially placed both the individual and the public at serious risk,” the family member added.
The family member requested the sheriff’s office conduct a formal investigation into how the incident was handled, conduct a policy review and ensure it abides by Washington State ITA guidelines, explain why no DCR was consulted, provide information on the training deputies receive on crisis intervention, and take necessary action to prevent similar issues.
“Mental health crisis calls require competent, responsible, and informed intervention,” the family member said. “The public deserves assurances that suicidal individuals will be handled appropriately and that obvious risks will not be disregarded.”
Community caretaking vs. involuntary treatment
The handling of the call involving a heavily intoxicated male was much different than how another incident in Seaview was handled on April 18, when a man barged his way into a residence and assaulted a woman. He was subsequently cited for fourth-degree assault and taken to Ocean Beach Hospital to sober up.
Hours later, at approximately 1:45 a.m., he walked back to the residence, barged in, allegedly assaulted the woman again and then took a car. He was later located at a trailer on the 22200 Block of Pacific Way, arrested and then booked into jail.
“While these two incidents both involved intoxicated individuals, they were entirely different from a legal standpoint, and law enforcement actions are responsive to the unique legal constraints of each scenario,” Billeci said.
“This email is not legal advice. Regarding the basis for the protective hole on [on the Seaview individual]: the transport of [him] to Ocean Beach Hospital was not an ITA mental health detention. Rather, it was a community caretaking transport following a criminal investigation. [He] was being issued a criminal citation for Assault in the Fourth Degree.”
“Because he was highly intoxicated, lacked a responsible party to accept custody of him, and was making statements indicating he could not safely care for himself in public including asking officers to tase or shoot him, deputies transported him to a medical facility under community caretaking principles until the hospital deemed it safe to release him,” Billeci added.
The Observer asked Billeci about whether or not the witness accounts of events were discredited — based on public records, it appeared that their accounts of the incident, including information on the man’s previous ideations, were not weighed.
“Regarding the witness accounts in the case of the [suicidal male]: the witness accounts in the incident involving [him] were not discredited. Witness statements are an important part of any initial response; however, law enforcement officers cannot legally bypass constitutional thresholds or initiate an involuntary custody hold based solely on third-party observations.”
”When deputies arrived, they conducted an independent, face-to-face assessment [of the male]. [He] was cooperative, repeatedly and explicitly denied any thoughts of self-harm, and was actively engaged in future-oriented planning regarding his property,” Billeci added.
Per Billeci’s stance, the deputies did their due diligence by interviewing the man even though they did not consult a DCR or attempt to consult a DCR.
“Because the subject’s presentation at the scene did not meet the strict statutory criteria for an ITA detention — imminent risk of serious harm or grave disability, deputies lacked the legal authority to take him into custody against his will,” Billeci said. “Each incident is handled according to the specific legal parameters and authorities available to deputies at the time of the call.”
“The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office is committed to upholding both public safety and the constitutional rights of individuals, which includes respecting the legal limits of involuntary detention laws,” Billeci said.
It is worth noting that approximately 60% of suicidal individuals deny having any suicidal ideations. The ITA was created to help individuals experiencing these feelings and thoughts before it is too late.
Writer’s note: Anyone who is experiencing suicidal or self harm ideations is encouraged to reach out to the Suicide and Crisis hotline at 988. A professional is always standing by to listen and help. Always remember that your life matters — today, tomorrow and beyond.