Torrance Burnett of Vicksburg walked out of the courtroom after being assigned to counseling, went to his car and retrieved an automatic handgun, Chief Walter Armstrong said.

"He didn't have the gun in the courthouse," Armstrong said. "But some people in the courtroom indicated (to authorities) that he had a weapon with him. Officers went outside and saw him with his hands in his pockets."

Upon seeing police, Burnett ran, the chief said. Officers chased him for a block before Burnett stopped behind the library on Washington Street and pointed the gun at his own head.

"He kept it there for three or four hours," Armstrong said.

The standoff, which began around 9:30 a.m., ended peacefully when hostage negotiators with the Jackson Police Department convinced Burnett to lower his weapon.

"They basically just talked to him. He said he was frustrated with his situation," the chief said.

The domestic violence conviction Wednesday was Burnett's second. He still faces a third domestic violence charge. All three charges stemmed from altercations he reportedly had with his girlfriend, who was in the courtroom Wednesday morning.

"We also think he was frustrated with his military background," the chief said. "It's our understanding he was a soldier and had just left Iraq last May. (During negotiations), he kept talking about seeing people get blown away: his friends, soldiers, others."

Armstrong said he isn't sure what if any charges will be filed against Burnett. There was no gunfire, and Burnett never threatened any of the officers or civilians.

"We did get him admitted to the VA hospital in Jackson," the chief said.

While officials haven't confirmed whether Burnett was suffering from post-traumatic stress, the disorder has been noted in many returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. About one in seven service members have returned from deployments with symptoms, according to a Rand Corp. study released in April 2008.

"There is help here for them at the (G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery) VA Medical Center," hospital spokesman Mario Rossilli said. "We provide pre- and post-deployment outreach for veterans. We actually go out in the state and tell them of the services we provide and how to get enrolled."

Services include psychologists and psychiatrists who specialize in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Roughly 5,000 returning veterans are enrolled at the medical center, including about 2,400 in the post-deployment clinic, Rossilli said.

To comment on this story, call Kathleen Baydala at (601) 961-7262.

Clarion Ledger