Georgia man arrested after 4-hour standoff outside NC Walmart

Police said a man was suffering from a mental health crisis and using narcotics Wednesday during a four-hour standoff and shooting at a Walmart in North Carolina.

The Wallace Police Department said Jerry Arnold Flakes. Jr., 30, of Georgia, will be charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, felony breaking and entering, breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and possession of methamphetamine.

Police recovered a stolen vehicle they believe Flakes had stolen, but they did not know why he was in North Carolina.

Video surveillance from Wednesday shows Flakes walking toward the loading docks of the Walmart on N.C. Highway 41 from the woods nearby.

Police said Flakes attempted to get in a truck backed up to the loading dock.

When the truck driver saw Flakes, police said Flakes pointed a rifle at the driver and told him to get in the truck. The driver turned and ran away, and police said Flakes chased him.

According to police, the driver dropped his keys and ran inside the Walmart. Flakes picked up the keys and tried to drive away in the truck.

A four-hour standoff involving multiple law enforcement agencies began, with negotiators trying to get Flakes outside the truck.

According to police Flakes "repeatedly said he was not going back to prison and that officers would have to shoot him or he would shoot himself."

The State Bureau of Investigation's bomb squad used a robot to try to deliver a phone and cigarette lighter to Flakes. Drones were also used so officers could watch him.

Police said Flakes pointed his rifle at law enforcement and officers fired five rounds. Flakes fell over into the seat, out of sight from the officers, police said.

Officers approached the truck to render first aid and saw Flakes alive and lying on the weapon. Flakes was removed from the truck and transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

"There is no question that Flakes was dealing with a mental health issue and under the influence of narcotics," Wallace police wrote on Facebook.

"Negotiators gave Flakes every opportunity to surrender and offered to get Flakes mental health assistance. But when Flakes turned his rifle toward the unarmed negotiator, he put the officers in a situation where they had no choice but to discharge their weapons. Without question, the swift action by these officers saved the negotiator and themselves from potential injury or death."

The Duplin County Sheriff's Office, Pender County Sheriff's Office, State Highway Patrol, Duplin EMS, Pender Fire and EMS and SBI all assisted.