An armed man who dared lawmen to shoot him has been given 30 days in jail and was ordered to undergo a mental exam.

The man, William Boyd Reed, 56, entered guilty pleas before General Sessions Judge Bill Locke to charges of joyriding and reckless endangerment. He was ordered to serve 30 days of an 11-month, 29-day sentence and was ordered to forfeit his gun.

Deputy Christopher McCormick reported that when he arrived on River Road to investigate a stolen vehicle he was told Reed had a gun and had been shooting and threatening suicide.

“A witness reported Reed had been drinking and threatened to shoot himself with a pistol under his chin,” the deputy said, noting the suspect had then gotten in an ATV side-by-side and drove off.

While talking to the victims, the deputy spotted Reed topping the hill on the stolen ATV, prompting him to take cover.

“I told him told him to drop his firearm but he would not comply,” the deputy said of the armed standoff, noting Reed kept driving closer. “When he was about 20 feet away, he said, ‘If you’re going to shoot me, shoot me.’”

Reed then stepped off the vehicle and again refused orders to show his hands. However, he stepped close enough to the officer he was able to tackle Reed and place him into custody without anyone being injured.