'Suicide by Cop' Threats Land IGH Man in Jail

An Inver Grove Heights man has been charged with making terroristic threats following an incident at the Dakota County Service Center in West St. Paul on Thursday.

Terry Lee Debates, 53, made comments independently to a social worker and a staffer at his trailer court that if he did not receive financial assistance to pay his rent that he was going to use a toy gun to provoke police to shoot him, according to the Dakota County Attorney's Office. 

The building, where Debates had gone to apply for financial assistance, was subsequently put on lockdown and searched Thursday morning by law enforcement agencies, including the .

Debates was found in a third-floor office and arrested without incident or injury. He was released Friday to a crisis center without bail.

The staff at the trailer court called police after Debates made a scene in the office, declaring that if he didn't get help paying his rent, he would try and get police to shoot him. They described Debates as "very agitated and shaking at the time as well as very loud and swearing," according to the report. 

Debates allegedly made similiar statements to a social worker at the Service Center. The social worker had talked to Debates for about half an hour before Debates came to the office to fill out general assistance paperwork. The social worker told police that Debates appeared very depressed, but calmed down once he arrived.

Debates told police that he regretted making a scene at the office, and while he denies making any threats, he may have said “a couple of stupid things.”

The charge is a felony offense. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 2.