Chance Haegele was a deeply disturbed young man.

He battled inner demons his entire life, a life that ended at just 20-years-old on Tuesday night.

The Polk County man would often tell others how unhappy he was, how he was ashamed of being what he described as, “a trailer boy.”

He lamented about the possibility of never falling in love.

The 20-year-old had been diagnosed with a mental illness and admitted that he struggled to take his mediation on a regular basis.

In fact, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Chance was placed under the Baker Act seven times.

Each time, deputies followed up on his progress in an effort to help him, even securing access for him to multiple mental health facilities.

Tuesday night, they tried one more time.

A 911 call came in that Chance had posted something Snapchat – his imminent suicide. He said he wanted to end his life.  

When deputies showed up, he tried to end theirs by pointing a shotgun at them, refusing to drop it.

The sheriff describes the scenario as a classic case of suicide by cop.

“We’ve got a 20-year-old young man that’s dead because he pointed a gun at us last night, and the deputies did exactly what they should have done,” said the sheriff. 

How did this young man slip through the system over and over again?

The sheriff tried to help him. His friends tried to help him. His mom tried to help him.

Long time Tampa Bay area psychiatrist Dr. Walter Afield has been in practice for more than 54 years.

He’s seen hundreds of cases where people are placed under the Baker Act. 

He says it fails all the time.

The “Baker-Act band aid” is just that, a temporary fix.

“We see it all the time,” he told WFLA. “It’s not a good procedure. It has to do with money.”

The process began in the 70s were someone could be held for metal valuation for 72 hours, then most likely admitted to a mental institution. However, many mental hospitals in the state of Florida have since closed. That leaves the person with mental illness right back where they started from.

Dr. Afield says what many people need is long term care.

“The pressure is on the doctor, to bring people in, get them on medication and get them out. So, it’s a Band-Aid.”