THOMASTON — Police were called to the Wal-Mart parking lot in Thomaston, off Route 1, late Wednesday night, after a man called 911 and made statements leading the dispatcher to believe he was suicidal.

According to Knox County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tim Carroll, the call originally went to Thomaston Police Department, but the officer there was tied up with a possible operating under the influence call. So instead, Knox County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Polky, who was nearby, responded to the call.

After he arrived at the location, Polky located a man partially out of his vehicle with the door open.

Carroll said that Polky "positioned his cruiser in a manner to be able to see the man...and as Polky got out of his cruiser, a shot was fired from within the subject's vehicle."

Calling for assistance from other officers, Carroll said that Polky was unsure if the shot was fired at him, in his direction, or if the man had shot himself.

"Once Sgt. Polky gave commands to the man and determined the scene was safe, he immediately started administering medical assistance," said Carroll in a news release Thursday. "The man had shot himself in the chest. EMS was called and transported him to Penobscot Bay Medical Center, and he was last reported in critical but stable condition."

Crisis help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are concerned about yourself or about somebody else, call the Maine Crisis Hotline: 1-888-568-1112.

If you are not in Maine, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.

Or chat with a crisis counselor online: suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx.