Fort Worth police investigate if armed man was killed by officers or self-inflicted shot

Police don’t yet know whether a man who died Monday night in southwest Fort Worth was killed by officers or a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said at a news conference.

The man called 911 around 6 p.m. and said he was armed and that he wanted to hurt or kill himself, according to police. Officers responded to the 4800 block of Selkirk Drive in seven minutes, but the man wasn’t where he said he would be.

They searched the area for about an hour, with a dispatcher pinging the man’s phone to help locate him, as his family called 911 to report concerns about his mental health.

When officers found the man near a vehicle he owned, along the same street, something led to officers firing at the man, police said.

The man ended up dead of a gunshot wound, but it’s not clear if the fatal shot was fired by officers or himself, according to police. MedStar told the Star-Telegram in an email that medics believed the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but Executive Assistant Police Chief Robert Alldredge said at the news conference that investigators haven’t yet determined if that’s accurate.

Alldredge said investigators currently believe two officers fired shots at the man but emphasized that it is still early in the investigation. The investigation will also determine what led up to officers firing their guns.

A handgun was found next to the man’s body after he was shot but it isn’t clear whether he’d fired the gun, the assistant chief said.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man who was killed as 58-year-old Brant Nickell and said that he died in a city storm drain.

Police said nobody else was injured.

Officers responded to the initial call as a possible suicide attempt.

“These officers, all they really cared about was getting this person help, treatment,” Alldredge said at the news conference.

Fort Worth has officers with special training in responding to people experiencing a mental health crisis, but they weren’t the ones who responded Monday night, according to Alldredge. He didn’t say why patrol officers were the ones to make contact with Nickell instead of those specially trained officers.

Alldredge said the man was in the area because he had family in the neighborhood.

Officers could be seen knocking on doors and looking into a back yard as the investigation continued.

It was the second fatal shooting involving officers in North Texas on Monday. In the afternoon, a driver fatally shot himself after he led Mansfield police and other agencies on a high-speed chase, authorities said. During the pursuit, the driver shot at police and at least one officer returned fire, but the officer’s shots didn’t hit the man, according to Mansfield police.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts, there is help available. Call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

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