A south Walton County man is in jail this evening after a 9 hour long stand off with sheriff’s deputies which started just after midnight Thanksgiving morning.

23 year old Mark Carter of Santa Rosa Beach was reported by his roommate to be holding a gun and making suicidal threats. The Sheriff’s SWAT team was sent to the home at 235 West Wild Briar Road in Santa Rosa Beach. During the multi-hour standoff, Carter held a firearm to his head and refused to vacate the residence.

Deputies spent nine hours attempting to persuade Carter to surrender. SWAT team members used flash bangs and other less-lethal equipment and techniques to pressure him outside and out of harms way. Carter was apprehended shortly after 9 a.m

The South Walton Fire District medically evaluated Carter on-scene and the WCSO transported him to and area hospital for psychological evaluation