The Photograph: Waynesboro Standoff

Wednesday 21, 2007 -Thomas Williamson held off Waynesboro police and sheriff's deputies in a 5 hr standoff in Waynesboro in a house on South Delphine Avenue Wednesday morning, then shot him self in the chest.

The Stand off started around 2:30 Wednesday morning at a home up a privet lane a hafe mile off South Delphine Avenue. Waynesboro police approached the house with a warrant to arrest 43-year-old Thomas Williamson for domestic assault charge.

Williamson would not leave the house and started a standoff with police. He had made clear indication to Waynesboro police that he wonted to harm him self. Williamson Told police he wonted them to shoot him, the S.W.A.T team that was at the home never entered the house. The Waynesboro police tried to negotiations with Williamson to come out peacefully. When officers and deputies were at the residence trying to make contact with Williamson he called 911 and told the operator that he knew police were outside that they needed to back off. Then he called back and told the police that he did have weapons inside the house.

At one point Williamson requested a Moutando and cigarettes and those were gotten for him with the agreement that he would surrender within 10 minutes.

When Williamson did not give up police gassed the house. The police negotiated him to surrender himself at the door to swat members. Before swat members could get to the door and get him into custody he shot himself in the upper chest with a small caliber handgun.

Williamson was taken to Augusta Medical Center and then to UVA Medical Center. Williamson was in critical condition.