NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — At last check, 36-year-old Timothy Payne was at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.
Officers took him there for a mental health evaluation Tuesday afternoon after he was arrested at North Tonawanda City Hall.
The veteran reportedly told officers he had firearms and a possible explosive device in his van.
Police got permission to search it and they found a loaded pistol, two loaded military-style rifles, approximately 400 rounds of ammunition, as well as the device, which on Wednesday was deemed not explosive by North Tonawanda Police.
According to New York State Police, bringing Payne into custody all started with a letter he sent to the North Carolina General Assembly. A call to the general assembly's police department yielded the following response via e-mail, from Lt. Francisco Flores, Jr.:
The North Carolina General Assembly Police Department does not comment on the status of ongoing investigations, threats to legislators, or to the security of the legislative complex. The Department works with law enforcement agencies from across the country, including New York, to fulfill its mission.
When 2 On Your Side asked a NYSP spokesperson, Trooper James O'Callaghan, if they were given more details about the content of that letter, he said, "They did not tell the exact nature of the letter. It didn't meet the threshold to be threatening or something like that. But it did meet the criteria for concern."
O'Callaghan told 2 On Your Side that North Carolina General Assembly Police contacted the regional Department of Veterans Affairs about Payne, hoping to track him down so they could bring him in for a mental health assessment.
They couldn't find him in North Carolina, so the V.A. called his contacts.
It was a family member in Clarence who told NCGAPD that Timothy Payne had been in Western New York for several days and that their recent conversations with the 36-year-old were argumentative.
That family member, out of concern for Payne's safety and the safety of others, reached out to New York State Police.
Considering everything they were told, O'Callaghan says NYSP sent out a safety bulletin at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, "We're talking about someone who has been in combat, lost his legs, many injuries on top of that ... post-traumatic stress disorder."
Just about 30 minutes after the BOLO was sent out, North Tonawanda police spotted the Payne's van.
O'Callaghan: "In law enforcement, if nobody got hurt at the end of the day...that's the outcome that we want."
Though they believe he would never try to hurt anyone, Payne's loved ones told 2 On Your Side's Michael Wooten they're thankful he can get the help he needs.
Trooper O'Callaghan says he believes the family did the right thing.
"Don't just sit on it," he said. "Don't just pretend it's going to fix itself with another family member. If they're coming to you basically arguing or venting, but what they really need is help. But they don't know how to explain the fact that they need help ... it's time to call a professional."
If you believe a veteran needs mental health care, they can call the National Veterans Crisis Line anytime. It provides support, not just to those who have served, but their family and friends, as well.
The National Veterans Crisis Line is 1-800-273-8255.