A man reported missing from Port St. Lucie, Florida shot himself in the head in front of a Sheriff’s deputy early today.
Deputy Jorge Prince was on patrol, checking the end of Old Boca Chica Road on Big Coppitt Key at 12:30 a.m. He saw a Ford F150 truck parked at the barricades, so he got out of his patrol car to check on it.
He spoke with the driver of the truck, telling him he was not allowed to park there at that time. The beach closes at 11 p.m. The man said he was just getting some sleep before heading north. Deputy Prince asked him for his identification and checked it through Sheriff’s Office computers. He discovered the man – 61 year old Terrence Haynes - was reported missing out of Port Saint Lucie, Florida.
He asked Haynes to step out of his truck so he could speak with him further. Haynes became agitated, put the truck in drive and sped away. Deputy Prince ran back to his patrol car, radioed for assistance, and then followed in an attempt to stop Haynes.
He found Haynes’ vehicle down the road, about a half mile from the intersection with highway U.S. One, with Haynes standing in front of his vehicle, facing away from the deputy. Haynes was smoking a cigarette with one hand, but Deputy Prince could not see Haynes other hand. He ordered Haynes to show him his hands. At that point, Haynes raised a gun to the side of his own head and fired one shot, killing himself.
Deputy Prince called for medical assistance and performed CPR on Haynes until rescue units arrived, but he was declared dead by paramedics.