A Fayette County man accused of attacking his brother with a baseball bat managed to escape a SWAT team after an hourslong standoff at his home Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Sam Latzzis III, 51, shot at police with a pellet gun during the standoff before walking toward deputies with knives duct-taped to his hands, said Detective Clint Patton, spokesman for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
SWAT members were called to the home on Ga. 314 shortly after 1 p.m. in response to a domestic violence incident, he said.
Latzzis allegedly attacked his brother with a bat and then refused to surrender when police arrived.
Rather than giving himself up, he fired BBs in officers’ direction from inside the home before walking outside with knives strapped to his hands, authorities said.
SWAT members shot Latzzis in the leg with a nonlethal round as he advanced toward them, but that didn’t seem faze him and he went back inside, deputies said.
“He was wanting to commit suicide by cop,” said Patton “We used as much restraint as possible.”
After hours of negotiations failed, Latzzis came out of the home wearing a large jacket and ran past deputies’ Tasers into the woods.
“He came outside with a huge puffy jacket wrapped around him with the intention of defeating the Tasers,” Patton said, adding the 51-year-old is still at-large.
He was last seen about 6 a.m. wearing a black tank top, blue shorts and red shoes. Anyone who sees Latzzis or knows his whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
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