GoFuckYourself.com - Adult Webmaster Forum - Man kills himself with chain saw during arrest

A grand jury will investigate the death of a Grand Island, Neb., man who officials said killed himself with a chain saw while officers tried to arrest him.

Grand Island police went to the man's business about 5 p.m. Tuesday to serve a federal arrest warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm, said Deb Collins, a Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman.

Paul E. Smidt Jr., 40, refused the officers access to the business, Smidt Lawn Care, Collins said.

Smidt barricaded himself inside and the State Patrol's SWAT team was called in to assist, she said.

Negotiations with Smidt continued until after midnight, Collins said, when officers got into the building.

Smidt, armed with a chain saw, barricaded himself in a bathroom at the back of the business.

Officers got into the bathroom and ordered Smidt to drop the chain saw, Collins said.

When he refused, an officer fired a nonlethal "beanbag" round at Smidt, who then lowered his neck onto the chain saw, taking his own life, Collins said.

"He did not stumble or fall on the chain saw," she said. She declined to name the officer who fired at Smidt.

All of the officers involved were on duty Wednesday and were to undergo a stress debriefing, Collins said.

A special prosecutor will be named to handle the investigation. State law requires a grand jury be convened any time a person dies in police custody or while being apprehended.

Smidt was awaiting trial in Hall County District Court on multiple charges including burglary, first-degree false imprisonment, making terroristic threats, being a felon in possession of a firearm, violating a protection order and stalking, according to court records.

He was out on bail, the records say.

Smidt served 14 months in prison in 1986 and 1987 for convictions in Buffalo County, according to Nebraska Department of Correctional Services records.