The owner of an animal hospital in Lorain committed suicide while the Drug Enforcement Administration was serving a search warrant there Wednesday morning.
According to the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, the DEA, along with the Lorain County Drug Task Force, executed a search warrant around 8 a.m. at the Animal Emergency Center on Grove Avenue in Sheffield Township.
When the officers arrived, they made contact with the owner — 66-year-old Craig Talbott. Authorities said Talbott agreed to cooperate and led investigators to an office where he said the records were held.
When he reached the office, he grabbed a handgun and threatened to kill himself, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
The drug task force unit tried to get him to put his gun down but he refused, authorities said.
Deputies from the sheriff's office who were in the area responded. They also tried to convince him to put his gun down.
Deputies then discharged a Taser, according to the news release. The Taser had no effect so a second Taser was deployed. Authorities said there was still no effect and that's when Talbott fired the gun, taking his own life.
The Lorain Police Department took over the investigation.
Execution on the search warrant was completed by the Lorain County Drug Task Force and further investigation is continuing into that matter, authorities said.
