The cause of death of the suicidal man who died during the confrontation with St. Johns County deputies who opened fire on June 7 is self-inflicted, according to the Sheriff’s Office, citing the medical examiner’s report.
John David Herron, 65, of St. Augustine was a retired U.S. Marine who ran a landscaping business and had documented mental health issues.
On June 7, a concerned family member contacted the Sheriff’s Office shortly after 5 p.m., saying he had left the house with a firearm, had been drinking alcohol and had been making suicide threats. Officers found him in his pickup truck on Old Moultrie Road at US 1 South and attempted to communicate with him. When he started ramming one of the patrol vehicles, four deputies started shooting.
But Herron fired a fatal blow, the findings showed.
Court records show he was institutionalized under the state’s Baker Act in July 2023 for threatening suicide. He was angry that a loved one wanted him to contact the Veterans Suicide Hotline. He told officers several times that he was a trained Marine and had weapons. He had also been drinking Fireball all day and wanted them to try to get him out. The Sheriff’s Office was told he suffered from bipolar disorder.
In 2022, he was charged with driving under the influence, resisting an officer and battery in the same truck. It was reduced to offenses of reckless driving and resisting without violence, to which he pleaded no contest.
His company profile states that he served eight years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1976 to 1984 and was meritoriously promoted to the rank of sergeant three times. In 2009 he started Du All Landscaping.
People can call the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 by dialing 988 and pressing 1 or by texting 838255. Help can also be sought from The Fire Watch, “Florida’s Fight to End Veteran Suicide,” by visiting thefirewatch.org website.
This article originally appeared in the Florida Times-Union: St. Augustine Marine’s death ruled suicide during shooting by deputies
