by Kevin Caruso
August 15, 2004
John Michael Holman, 58, of Fairbanks, Florida, called 911on August 10th and said
that he just shot his ex-wife, Ginger Holman.
Three Sheriff's deputies and two police officers quickly responded, and when they arrived at the scene, they saw Holman standing in front of the house, pointing a gun at them.
Sgt. Pete Briggette, a friend of John Holman, was one of the responding officers.
"Drop the weapon. Drop the Weapon. Drop the weapon, now," the officers ordered. But Holman began walking towards them as he continued to point the gun at them.
The officers continued to give Holman numerous commands to drop his weapon and to stop, but Holman would do neither.
Sgt. Briggette warned Holman one last time, then was forced to shoot him in self-defense.
John Holman was fatally wounded.
The officers then entered the house, and found Ginger Holman unharmed inside.
While inside the house, the officers discovered a note left by John Holman, in which Holman apologized to the police for his actions.
Holman was apologizing for dying by "suicide by cop."
And when the officers examined the gun Holman was holding, they saw that it was a pellet gun -- and was not loaded.
Ginger Holman had been living at the residence after their divorce because John was mentally ill and she wanted to care for him.
"He has been sick mentally and physically for a long time, and this has been a very rough year for us," she said.
Ginger Holman said that earlier that night John told her that he was not happy and could not go on living the way he was.
But John had made many statements like that to her before and she did not believe that he was in danger, so she took her medication and fell asleep.
She was jolted awake by the noises out front when the police arrived a few hours later.
John Holman was suffering from depression -- and untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.
If you or someone you know may be suffering from depression, please get help immediately.
Please click below for additional information:
Depression and Suicide
And if you or someone you know is suicidal, please go to the Home Page
of this website and take action.
And whenever someone says that they are suicidal, immediate action needs to be taken, regardless of how many times they may have been suicidal in the past.
Always take talk about suicide seriously -- always.
Thank you.
If you or someone you know is suicidal, please go to the Home Page of this website for immediate help.
Thank you.
I love you.
Take care,
Kevin Caruso
