Shooting Suspect Christopher Calmer charged in death of Monroe deputy appears in court

A man accused of shooting two Monroe County deputies appeared before a judge Tuesday afteoon. Christopher Calmer is charged with killing Deputy Michael Norris and wounding Deputy Jeff Wilson. 

The judge says a grand jury will convene in November to consider the case against Calmer.

Deputy Norris, 24, was just beginning his life. Norris was a newlywed and he just got an assignment he had been working hard for at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Norris and Deputy Wilson were called to a home on Haley Lane in rural Monroe County around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. A 911 caller said a man with a gun was in the house threatening suicide.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says Calmer opened fire on the deputies.

Wilson is expected to be released from the hospital on Tuesday.

Deputy Michael Norris

Norris, who was shot in the head, was declared dead Sunday. The county coroner tells reporters, his body was kept on life support until Monday, so his organs could be donated.

Neighbor Arthur Perry lives next door to where the deputies were shot. He says he went running to the house when heard the gunfire.

"It was terrible. It was just awful," said Perry.

Perry says Calmer was living with his parents. He says Calmer has chronic health problems and rarely left his home. He wonders if those problems drove him to consider suicide.

"He had had neck surgery and he was in terrible pain, awful pain," said Perry. "And I would go over there every once in a while and speak to him. And he was sitting down in the den watching TV. He'd be just staring straight ahead. He wouldn't look at me or nothing."

Perry says family members grew conceed Saturday when Calmer suggested he may shoot himself.

"He was brandishing a gun around and they said he had a bottle of pills in one hand," said Perry. "He said if these pills won't help me, this gun will."

Investigators say it's not clear is how Calmer went from threatening to hurt himself, to shooting two deputies.