Man arrested after threatening to harm himself

NORWALK — An area homeless man was arrested Tuesday after holding off police, while threatening his own life and drinking as much stolen beer as possible. Norwalk police responded at 5:37 pm to the Rich Oil gas station on Milan Avenue, after William Lee Deppen, 30, entered the convenience store there and stole a 12-pack of canned Bud Light beer, kicking the glass door to exit, and shattering it the process. According to police, Deppen then fled to the wooded area behind the nearby Discount Drug Mart and sat down at the base of a tree to consume the beer. When officers arrived, Deppen was found hurriedly drinking as many cans of beer as he could. As officers approached, Deppen tore open one of the empty cans, creating a sharp edge, and pressed it against his throat, threatening to kill himself should police close in on him. While police officers attempted to calm the agitated man, Deppen continued to hold himself hostage and imbibe the Budweiser Lights at a rapid rate. Norwalk Police Chief Dave Smith, having reviewed NPD body camera footage, commented, "While he's threating to commit suicide, he's drinking as many of the stolen beers as possible." Smith said he was very pleased with the actions taken by his officers and that that no one was injured during the incident. "(Deppen) ended up not getting hurt and the officers ended up not getting hurt," he said. After a few minutes spent trying to de-escalate the situation, Deppen briefly lowered the torn beer can and NPD Sgt. Zach O'Neil found an opportunity to tase him. Deppen was taken into custody without further incident and incarcerated at the Huron County Jail on misdemeanor charges of petty theft and criminal damaging, according to police. Norwalk Police Department Special Response Team officers also responded Tuesday to a Unity Lane address, to perform a welfare check on a possibly armed, suicidal subject, according to NPD reports. Two large, aggressive dogs had to be removed from the home prior to officers making entry. The involved subject, who had taken refuge in a bedroom, later complied with officers and surrendered to them. He was taken into protective custody and transported to Fisher-Titus Medical Center for a mental health evaluation, reports show. In other matters, NPD officers were dispatched Tuesday to the area of West Main and Pleasant Streets, where three males were reported to be walking through yards and looking in house windows. Police spotted three juveniles near Jaycee Park and two were taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit, according to reports. The third juvenile was not located in the area, but was later taken to the police department by his mother. The on-call juvenile probation officer was contacted and authorities decided to release the juveniles to their respective guardians.