Former Deputy Threatens Suicide At Grassy Key Home

A tense situation at a Grassy Key home Monday night was resolved peacefully. A former deputy who worked for the Sheriff’s Office for a short time in 2012 was taken into custody under Florida’s Baker’s Act.

37 year old John Keeney armed himself at his Morton Street home and made threats to harm himself. His wife and two children aged 1 and 3 were home at the time, locked themselves in a bedroom of the home and called the Sheriff’s Office for help shortly after 6 p.m. Deputies arrived on the scene and took up safe positions outside the house. Keeney refused to speak with anyone on the phone; his wife relayed his comments to Sheriff’s dispatchers.

Over the next hour and a half, a hostage negotiator and officers on the scene attempted to talk him safely out of the house. During that time, he said numerous times he wanted his family safely out of the house, but said several times he would not give up his gun and at one point said he would return fire if shot at by deputies.

Shortly before 8:40 p.m. he exited the house, surrendered his weapon and was taken into custody. He was Baker’s Acted due to his suicidal comments, and was taken to a mental health facility for evaluation.

Keeney served in the military prior to coming to work for the Sheriff’s Office, as a military police officer. He worked for the Sheriff’s Office as a road patrol deputy participating in our Field Training Officer program from September to December of 2012 after which he resigned while still in training.

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