Pickaway County Sheriff's deputies say a man called a military veterans' crisis line in the middle of the night Monday, then confronted responding deputies with a rifle and was fatally shot. The crisis line notified deputies Ron Smith had a rifle and was threatening to kill himself. Deputies have provided no details about why the man was shot outside a home northwest of Circleville. Sheriff Robert Radcliff says it didn't appear Smith fired his rifle. The two veteran deputies who responded called for backup from Madison County and later reported shots had been fired. The Franklin County sheriff's office is investigating. Smith was an Iraq War veteran.