SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A police standoff that lasted several hours ended Monday evening in Scranton with one man injured as Scranton police say he is in the hospital recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
It was a potentially dangerous day in a North Scranton neighborhood Monday after Scranton police detectives say they are investigating an incident involving a man who shot himself outside his home after an hours-long standoff.
Police swarmed a normally quiet neighborhood in the 1900 block of Clearview Street in Scranton Monday morning. The street was closed after investigators received a call around 8:30 a.m. about an incident involving a firearm at the home.
“Within about 10-15 minutes there must have been about 15-20 police vehicles here. They were running, grabbing assault weapons and running down the street,” said Scranton resident John Howells.
The man allegedly leads the police in the chase after the accident
Investigators told Eyewitness News shortly before 8:30 a.m. that officers responded to a 911 call at the home on Clearview Street where they made contact with an armed man standing in the driveway, with a silver firearm.
“We were able to secure the scene and begin negotiations with the male to try to de-escalate the situation. The male was extremely agitated,” said Scranton Police Department Sergeant Nick Hurchick.
Officers from the Scranton Police Department and the city’s Special Operations Group responded.
Meanwhile, police say four people were evacuated from the man’s residence and everyone on the block was contacted and told to shelter in place.
Shortly after 12:00 at night, a single shot was heard a short distance away.
“There was a single shot, the man made the decision to hurt himself, he fired a single gunshot wound and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment,” Sergeant Hurchick explained.
Officers said the man shot himself in the head, left the house and started walking down the driveway. At 12:30 p.m., the suspect had been taken to hospital, after shooting himself.
“It’s a sad situation that had to happen, but no one else was hurt,” Howells added.
The suspect’s condition is unknown at this time and there are currently no updates. No one else was injured and police say charges are pending.
