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Cantonment Man Shot By Baldwin Deputy After Chase
April 4, 2012
A Cantonment man was was shot by a Baldwin County (Ala.) deputy Tuesday after a high speed chase that ended not far from the state line.
Robert Lamar Vaughn, 43, was shot by Deputy Austin Welch, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began when the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office alerted Baldwin County authorities that Vaughn was on his way to a church cemetery outside Robertsdale to commit suicide. When a Robertsdale police officer approached a man matching Vaughn’s description at the cemetery, Vaughn jumped into his Toyota Tundra pickup truck and fled east on Highway 90. Four Baldwin County deputies joined Robertsdale police in the chase.
Spike strips were use to flatten tires on the truck, but Vaughn continued almost three miles until he pulled into the parking lot of Uncle Bubba’s Country Store in Seminole, Ala. Vaughn exited the truck and ran inside with a rifle. While inside the store, he pointed the rifle at a deputy through a glass door. The deputy fired a shot striking the Vaughn in the torso, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Vaughn was shot once by one of the Baldwin County deputies with a shotgun. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance. His condition was not available early Wednesday afternoon.
There were no other injuries.
Vaughn has not yet been charged with any crime.
Pictured: The scene at Uncle Bubba’s Country Store in Seminole, Ala., Tuesday after a Cantonment man was shot by a Baldwin County deputy. Photo by Anthony Pura, WEAR 3, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “Cantonment Man Shot By Baldwin Deputy After Chase”
IM GLAD THE OFFICER IS OK. HE DID AN AWSOME JOB!!!!!
Sad. Really sad. Suicide by LEO? It happens. I don’t know the man but he obviously couldn’t face the demons that plagued him. Prayers for him and his family.
I was a witness to what happened. It was a very scarey ordeal. Watching a man jump out of his truck with a rifle & running into a grocery store then being shot by police is something that i wont forget for a long time. It could have been me & my two boys that could of got shot but God was watching over us. I thank the law officer for his quick response & having complete control over the situation. I hate that the man got shot but he didnt die. Thank God that no one did!!! Praying for peace for everyone involved.
Let me ask you this: if you are faced with a man pointing a gun at you, what would you do? Shoot or run? LE doesn’t have the option to just run away. The deputy did what he felt was the only option to save lives…his and possibly innocent bystanders. Think about this before you decide it was the wrong thing to do, then ask yourself this…if you were in that store when the gunman came in what would you want the deputy to do??
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IDIOT PLANNED ONCE INSIDE THE STORE. PEOPLE AT THE END OF THEIR ROPE . THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW. MAYBE IF SOME WHO QUESTION THE POLICE HAD BEEN THERE YOU COULD HAVE “TALKED” HIS GUN FROM HIM. IT’S PEOPLE WHO MONDAY MORNING QUATERBACK AND HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT. YOU HAVE HOURS TO CRITICIZE. THE OFFICER ONLY HAS SECONDS TO MAKE A DECISION. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A STAND OFF IS LIKE. IT’S PATHETIC PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO HINDER PEOPLE LIKE THIS BY MAKING EXCUSES FOR THEM. ALL HE HAD TO DO AT ANY POINT WAS STOP HIS VEHICLE. JUST LIKE THE MAN WHO SHOT FELLOW STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA I GUESS HE WAS BULLIED AS WELL AND JUST COULDN’T GO ON LIVING. HE SHOULD HAVE DONE THE WORLD A FAVOR AND SHOT HIMSELF INSTEAD OF RUN.
To citizen: I respect & agree with everything you said except the Ted bundy thing, this guy is absolutly NO Ted bundy, that is why feel so badly for him, he has never hurt anyone & I don’t think that he would have shot the police, I think he knew that if he pointed his gun that they would kill him & that’s what he wanted, I do believe the cops did exactly what they should have done! To serve & protect, that’s exactly what they did. My prayers are also with all police that were involved I know they see this stuff all the time but I can’t imagine how disturbing this must be for them
This is such a sad story if this is the same Robert that I know! I’m praying hard for this family, Robert is such a great man, father & person in general. His quiet yet extremely friendly personality says it all for those that have ever met him! My heart breaks for him, his pain inside must have been horrific for him to want to do this. Robert, if u ever read this just know God has great plans STILL for your life, & all of this media will blow over. Everyone goes through hard stuff in life so nobody should ever judge you, just know alot of people are praying for, we know this is not who u are, cry out to JESUS & ignore the lies of satan, Satan thought he had u but God snatched You back! Praise Him for there is Victory over anything you face in this life as long as trust Him!
I have knowledge of a man that was charming, hansom, educated, attentive and single. His name was Ted Bundy. You can’t judge people just because they’re nice as well as other things. You never know what you are dealing with at any given time working as an LEO. This Officer had no clue this man was funny etc… His duty is to protect and serve. As for the ones out there that don’t know what this means, it also applies to those who wish to commit suicide. You have to try and save a life regardless if the suspect feels they need to die. He placed others in danger when he ran into that store armed and that changed the rules of engagement from that point on. The officers primary duty at that point is to protect those innocent people inside the store. When he raised the weapon and pointed it at the officer, that brought on a totally different reaction. If you’re willing to shoot a uniformed Officer, think of how he would feel shooting anyone else. I sympathize with the family of the suspect as well as the officer and his family. Having to use deadly force on a human is not the easiest decision to make as an LEO. My thoughts go out to all involved and I’m glad no one else got hurt in the incident.
To Michelle, just how do you think the police got involved,his family called the the police,then Baldwin county was contacted because family members said that’s were they think he may go.When the police found him and he fled you think there not suppose to chase this person in this frame of mind just let him go and hope everything turns out ok,i don’t think so.know one knows what this man is thinking or what he may do to himself or others that may cross his path.from what the story above reads he did not point the gun at himself he pointed at the deputy that too has a family that wants him to return home safe.I’m sure this guy is a good guy any other time but not that day.I will say this both of these men involved now have scars they get to bear forever.And Michelle if you don’t like the way the police handle things go join them and show them how to be a cop or you could just handle the problem yourself and don’t call them.Just wondering how many of you would have followed this guy into the store,in order to protect other that you don’t even know.
Michelle is you reread the article it states that the ECSO(FL) contacted Baldwin CO to let them know of the mans intentions so maybe they could stop him but the man ran and they attempted to stop him but he ran into the store and pointed his rifle at the police! Not himself! And when someone is desperate enough to try and take their own lives who’s to say he wouldnt have tried to take their life as well. The officer obviously wasnt intending to kill the man since he wasnt shot in the head or heart, although any gunshot wound can be fatal. It seems to me that the officer was only trying to contain the situation and stop him from killing himself or anyone else.
northend, He didn’t seem to want the cops involved. He was heading for a secluded quiet spot AWAY from people. THEY chased him for 3 miles putting other drivers in danger. THEY shot him to stop him from killing himself. Most suicide attepmts don’t want to die. But more for a cry for help.
To Mr Vaughn GOD BLESS YOU and your family. GOD was telling you, it’s not your time yet. You have something important to do first
What ever GOD has planned for you, it seems you haven’t done it yet. What a blessing, that you have another chance to breath again . And for your family knowing that you will come home.
Let me get this straight. Mr Vaughn wanted to kill himself. The police CHASED him down. Now this the bit I don’t get. The police shot him to stop him from shooting himself. And then we wasn’t (at the time) charged with anything.
What exactly was the point of that ? If you left him alone all of this could have been avoided. But instead, the police over reacted causing a 3 mile car chase putting other drivers in danger of a crash., Making an agitated man more emotionally stressed by the chase. And then shooting him.
Strange, he could go to jail for trying to harm himself. But completely OK for the police to shoot and quite easily have killed, but that is justifiable.
Do we really have no control over our lives. But someone on a power trip can determine if we live or die?
I hope this is not the Robert I Know from the ball park, He was a good man I just don’t know what would make him to something like that,,, I will be thinking about this Robert even if its not him,,,,
It appears to be suicide by cop. Now this Deputy has to live with this. If you want to shoot yourself, dont involve an officer. Their job is tough enough!
GLAD NOBODY ELSE GOT HURT.
” The man jumped out of his truck with rifle and headed toward the door of the conveniences store,”
This sounds like a criminal to me….. I am sure there are cases where peope were murdered, raped and beaten by some of the “nicest people they ever met as well.
You never know what is in someones mind and how they will react, but first step would have been not to run from the law. THAT IS JUST STUPID, and reguardless of what may be discovered in a investigation, put you directly in the bright light of being gulity until it is determined you are inocent.
This story was so shocking to hear because the guy involved is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He’s got great character,he’s really funny, he’s a family man, etc. He’s not a criminal. Something must’ve happened in his life to drive him to desperation. I’m praying for all involved. God bless this man and his family and all the people affected.