The St, Johns County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Andrew Dane Dandurand, an inmate at the St. Johns County jail who attempted suicide by hanging on July 11, died from his injuries this evening (July 16) at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine.
False rumors and announcements of his death began appearing on social media late Sunday and Monday, confusing–and angering–friends who knew him. Dandurand had had a troubled life since his father’s death when he was not yet a teen, a friend recalled, had himself become a young father, but had difficulties adjusting.
He had been in jail in St. Johns since June 15, after threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and himself with an assault rifle–and allegedly keeping from a shooting spree at his ex’s house, he later told police, because he feared children were present.
The earlier story is below.
Suicide Attempt in Jail: Suspect Arrested For Threatening To Kill Ex With Assault Rifle Is In Critical Condition
July 14–A month ago Andrew Dandurand, 24, a resident of Palm Coast’s R-Section, was arrested after getting hold of an assault rifle and allegedly threatening to kill an ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and himself. After a chase, he was eventually arrested and jailed in St. Johns County, on $500,000 bond.
Friday evening, Dandurand attempted suicide at the St. Johns County jail by hanging himself with a bed sheet. He remains in critical condition at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine.
Detectives with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Robbery/Homicide Unit are conducting a preliminary investigation into the suicide attempt. The initial response, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, occurred just before 5:50 p.m. on July 11 after corrections deputies found Dandurand unresponsive and not breathing in his cell, where he was housed alone. Dandurand was on his knees and had a sheet around his neck.
Deputies reported observing Dandurand 20 minutes earlier and found no issues. Deputies immediately began to perform life-saving measures and summoned for St. Johns County Fire-Rescue. Once on scene, Fire-Rescue personnel evaluated Dandurand and transported him to Flagler Hospital.
On June 15, St. Johns County deputies began a search for Dandurand after receiving information from Flagler County deputies investigating the case of a possible stolen assault rifle. Once St. Johns County Deputies located Dandurand they discovered he was armed with the stolen rifle, a loaded SKS semi-automatic weapon of Soviet make. Dandurand was arrested and charged with felony charges of fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement and aggravated stalking.
Subsequent to his arrest in St. Johns, he was again booked on charges in Flagler–on June 27, on charges of felony contempt of court and violation of a pre-trial release agreement.
ⓖⓔⓔⓩⓔⓡ Drive carefully please says
Twenty-four years-old and he’s looking to check out.
Why not strive to make amends and rethink his life and his outlook – perhaps
spend the next fifty or so years educating himself and appreciating the
(admittedly increasingly elusive) simple joys of life?
He wasn’t going away for life in jail…..
I hope he recovers and sees the light.
He needs to wake the heck up.
Sadly i say... says
Can we please provide him with a meantal health evaluation and therapy? There is obviously something going on here… you want him to stop coming back to “three hots and a cot?” help him then, placing him in isolation obvioulsy failed.
confidential says
He desperately needs serious psychological test and counseling.
Anonymous says
Maybe if you read this article you would discover that this man is currently on life support. People are so quick to judge by reading these articles, and do not hear the whole story. I happen to know both sides to this mans downfall and it upsets me in more ways than one. Andrew was a father, and had just lost his daughter because of his outraged reaction to finding out that his ex having an affair with his close friend. He had been going through a tough time and could not control his actions as he would have with a clear mind. People do crazy things when they are angry, and obviously he had been feeling like he had nothing more to live for. By no means am I stating that he did not deserve jail time, but I strongly believe that he should have been given some sort of help when this began rather than being thrown in a jail cell, and later released to act upon his emotions as he did. As selfish as it was, he drowned himself in his own sorrows and did not think of the pain he would cause others, but he was a good man before all of this. He is a good man. I hope for his sake as well as his baby girl’s that if he can make it out of this tragedy, he can find himself again and see that maybe not today, tomorrow , a year, or I twenty years from now…he still has a good heart, and a wonderful personality that deserves to have another chance at life.
KB63 says
How very, very sad. He was obviously very troubled and if someone had recognized it earlier they may have been able to get him on medication before it came to this. I hope he comes out of it & gets the help he so desperately needs.
Happy says
Why do men get married now days ? Just date and live separate lives. Things work out much better.
A.S.F. says
When people can’t, or don’t get help for serious mental health issues when they first start to arise, they can end up trying to “medicate” on their own by drinking and/or using illegal substances. It’s a terrible tragedy that happens every day. I hope Mr. Dandurand pulls through and gets an opportunity to turn his life around. Whatever went on between him and his wife, nobody deserves to be stalked and/or attacked.
ⓖⓔⓔⓩⓔⓡ Nepenthe for what ills you says
Thanks for the insight into this young man’s life.
I hope that he recovers and moves on with a new outlook.
That affair with his ex and friend — that would send anyone onto a
a tizzy and frankly I don’t know how I would have processed
that bit of news.
Again, thank you — I hope that Andrew pulls through and gets another
chance at a life filled with happiness and prosperity.
Ann says
So sorry to hear this-praying for him-
Ray Thorne says
“That affair with his ex and friend — that would send anyone onto aa tizzy and frankly I don’t know how I would have processedthat bit of news”
Would you steal a firearm and head to your ex only to be thwarted by police and then lead them on a high speed chase endangering the community?
Steve Wolfe says
That people go through life with an expectation of revenge is an indictment of parenting. While there are many influences competing for our kids’ attention, parentsmust maintain the inside lane. And yes, there are circumstances beyond our control, but there’s also a lot of apathy and incompetence in a large number of parents, who put meeting their needs above meeting their own children’s needs. That’s how we get messed up young men and women like these.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
its getting really sickening nowadays to see everytime someone commits a crime, all sorts of poeple come out of the woodworks to justify why he/she did what he did and what kind of mental issues he/she had, and they dont need jail time, they need mental help. BOTTOM LINE is they are criminals, they chose to break laws and do bad things. I also personally knew Andrew since he was a young teenager, and as sorry as I am that this has happened to him. He has been getting in trouble since he was a kid. Face it, sometimes poeple just do bad things to do bad things, not because they have a mental issue and dont know right from wrong. He has been arrested many times in the last few years and he has known right from wrong each time. and to steal an assault rifle, and make his way to his ex’s house and get in a police chase while en route to commit the original crime he intended on…..this is a kid that just didnt care about anybody else, not a kid that has mental issues. he didnt care about his kids, his ex, the police, or anybody else but himself.
anon says
There is no magic “help” out there that people just get as far as mental health goes. People with mental illness and no insurance go to jail. Many who have never experienced mental illness, either themselves or in a loved one are quick to judge. The “poor parenting” line is worn out. If today’s parents are not doing their job, then their parents didn’t teach them to parent, and thus it continues back. We can sit and judge and hope all day but until we start acting and forcing change in the system, things will remain as they are and will likely get worse.
Steve Wolfe says
Of course parenting goes back. I realize that I got the belt because my dad did. I hated it and chose not to pass it on (to good effect). But “change the system” is innocuous. What do you have in mind?
Anonymous says
When and how many times did SOSO check on this young man and why was he not In protective custody? Sounds like law enforcement was asleep when this young MN was in custody.
Carl says
These jails are getting very lax with their inmates, when you lock a mentally ill person in jail instead of getting him help you take full responsibility for their safety , I hope the family sues them hard , this is happening in jails across the country way too often, how bout you take the camera`s off our streets and install them in their cells , watch the criminals instead of spying on tax paying citizens!!!
happening now says
The red flags were up. Again… There are no word to express my deepest sympathy for the parents of this boy. Regardless of his home life and all the ranting and raving, that kind of hurt goes way deep and is never ever going away.
Sherry Epley says
Folks, “Mental Illness” is a scientific fact and can be diagnosed and treated as with physical diseases. Yes, there are contributing factors such as bad parenting, and bullying in school. . . BUT, we cannot continue to just “blame away” or “wish away”, the problem. Those that are mentally ill act out against our citizens in violent ways. . . mass shootings of school children for a tragic example. The “long term” treatment of mental illness simply does not exist in our state.
Why is it that our leaders would prefer to use our tax dollars to warehouse the mentally ill in prisons and pay for armed guards in schools rather than provide any kind of support to assist those who suffer so greatly in their minds and hearts that they strike out in such terrible ways? On top of that, our obsessed gun culture makes sure they have murder weapons easily accessible.
There but for the grace of a higher power goes each one of us into the tortuous hell of mental illness. Unfortunately, in Florida, we would receive NO compassion, NO treatment, NO assistance, NO understanding. . . and most likely end up in jail!
ryan says
Those of us with any sense know that those who perpetrate violence on the innocent are just evil bad people, no way around it.
ryan says
That is where violent people belong, Sherry. People who become mass murderers are pure evil, just look at what Adam Lanza’s father said about his son when he finally spoke to the press.
Anonymous says
Amen! I suffer from mental illness and with proper care I live a normal life. We did not choose our DNA. It is no difference then any other illness however the mentally ill get treated different. I am sorry this young man could not get the proper care. My prayers go out to his family.