A four-hour standoff in Palm Coast ended peacefully on March 30 after Flagler County Sheriff’s Office crisis negotiators spent hours building a connection with an armed and suicidal man — even deploying a robot to keep the conversation going when his phone battery died.
How It Started
Just after 10 a.m., the Flagler County Emergency Communications Center received a report that a man was violating a domestic violence no contact order and was parked outside a residence on Burning Ember Lane in Palm Coast’s B-Section, where the protected victim was staying.
A deputy responded and located the man — identified as Isaac Lewis, 22, of Palm Coast — sitting in his vehicle outside the home. When the deputy attempted to make contact, Lewis sped away, nearly striking the deputy as he fled. He returned to the scene shortly after, stepped out of his vehicle, and held a handgun to his head, threatening to take his own life.
Recognizing that Lewis had committed a violent felony and was simultaneously experiencing a mental health crisis, deputies began talking with him while the FCSO Crisis Negotiation Team and SWAT team were called in.
The Negotiation
Deputy First Class Bryan Carter, a trained crisis negotiator, established contact with Lewis and led the negotiations. Over the course of more than two hours, the two spoke in person, over the phone, and eventually through FaceTime, building a rapport across a range of topics. When Lewis’s phone battery died, the SWAT team deployed a robot to deliver a replacement phone so communication could continue safely.
With contact re-established, Carter continued negotiations from inside the SWAT team’s BearCat armored vehicle, positioned so that Lewis could still see him through the window throughout their conversation.
Throughout the incident, analysts and deputies in FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center monitored the situation using live feeds from body cameras and drones, relaying real-time information to deputies on the scene to support de-escalation efforts and ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Just before 2 p.m., Lewis removed the magazine from the firearm, cleared the live round from the chamber, and placed the weapon on the ground. Deputies then safely took him into custody without further incident. Video from the incident is available to view here.
Arrest and Mental Health Care
Lewis was arrested on charges of resisting arrest without violence, aggravated stalking, and fleeing and eluding. He was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance, where Deputy First Class Carter and a member of FCSO’s Behavioral Response Unit visited him. After his release from the hospital, he was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond and will have access to mental health treatment.
Sheriff Rick Staly praised the coordinated effort that brought the situation to a safe conclusion. “Deputy First Class Carter, our Crisis Negotiation and SWAT teams, and our analysts in the Real Time Crime Center worked together to save a life today. I am incredibly proud of how they de-escalated and safely resolved a very dangerous armed situation,” Staly said. “These are very delicate situations, but our crisis negotiators, and really all our deputies, are well-trained in de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques. They were supported by what was truly a team effort. Our crisis negotiators, deputies, SWAT team, Real Time Crime Center, and 911 dispatchers all worked together to successfully defuse the situation and achieve the best possible outcome.”
Staly also addressed Lewis’s path forward from behind bars. “We pride ourselves on having a detention facility that doesn’t just house inmates but actively works to improve their lives. We offer mental health treatment through a variety of programs and partnerships with organizations in our community, so our inmates can get the help they need,” Staly said. “Although he was arrested, we hope he realizes that he essentially now has a second chance in life and uses the opportunities available in the jail to find support, move past this situation, and make the most of the rest of his life.”
About Deputy First Class Carter
Deputy First Class Carter joined the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 and has been a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team since 2021. He is also assigned to the Motors Unit. Before joining FCSO, he served seven years in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
