Man shot, killed during SWAT standoff struggled with mental health issues, police, neighbors say

DAYTON — Police and neighbors said a man shot and killed by Dayton police struggled with mental health issues before the deadly confrontation with SWAT officers Tuesday.

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William Gardner, 21, was shot and killed during a SWAT standoff at a home on Evergreen Avenue Tuesday after police said he ran out of his house with a gun and made movements towards the officers.

Gardner had been the suspect in two other shooting incidents within 24 hours of the deadly interaction with police. On Monday, police were called to his home on reports of him firing multiple shots and setting a fire. The flames were extinguished in the Monday incident but a shooting victim wasn’t located, so police couldn’t legally force their way into his home.

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Tuesday morning started out with a similar report when police said Gardner fired six shots at a man walking his dog on Evergreen Avenue. Before firing the shots, police said Gardner set another fire and when the shooting victim’s dog got near the fire that’s when Gardner opened fire.

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The victim, a 49-year-old man, was shot in the leg and taken to an area hospital where he was treated and released. The shooting incident would start the SWAT standoff that ended in the deadly police-involved shooting.

In the days before the deadly police interaction, neighbors said they were having problems with Gardner.

“He’s been coming outside, he’s been shooting, beating the dog, outside talking crazy to the neighbors and everything,” Andrea Corbitt said.

In 911 calls released by Dayton police, neighbors also disclosed they believed Gardner was suffering from mental health issues when he was firing the shots.

“Man is outside shooting his gun, he has mental illness. I have a baby in this house and he is right next door and he is outside shooting a gun again,” the caller said.

Family members had expressed concerns with Gardner in the past and on at least two occasions Gardner was taken by officers to local hospitals for an involuntary mental health evaluation, Dayton Interim Police Chief Matt Carper said Tuesday.

Area mental health experts said its key for family members to have conversations about mental health before incidents reach a crisis point.

“To take away that stigma of mental health. You need to find someone that can give your loved one an assessment and recommend appropriate resources,” Tina Rezash Rogal with the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Board said.

Rogal added there is a local health app that can help family members locate mental health resources and crisis phone numbers when needed.

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