A 59-year-old man is dead after he barricaded himself inside his home on the 7600 block of Crestview Drive in Toano and fired multiple shots at police officers during an hours-long standoff that stretched into the early morning hours. Officers did not return fire, and no one else was hurt, but the ordeal left a SWAT armored vehicle riddled with bullet holes before it ended with the man found dead inside the house.
Domestic Report Escalates Into Standoff
The situation began at about 8:29 p.m. on Sept. 28, when police received a report of a domestic incident at the Crestview Drive address, according to The Virginian-Pilot. A person inside the home reported that a 59-year-old man was threatening to hurt himself, and that person managed to leave the house safely before officers arrived, per the same report.
What followed was a standoff that lasted for hours, with the man remaining barricaded inside as officers worked to bring the situation to a peaceful end. Negotiators tried repeatedly through the night to resolve the standoff peacefully, according to Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. At some point during the night, the man fired multiple shots at officers, the article notes, and James City County police did not return fire, according to a news release cited in the coverage.
Officers Find Man Dead After Entering Home
Officers ultimately entered the home and found the man dead. Medics pronounced him dead at about 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, per the report from Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. Investigators believe the death resulted from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, though the article report notes the medical examiner will determine the official cause of death.
Under Virginia law, the Chief Medical Examiner is responsible for investigating the cause and manner of death and preparing a report with written findings, according to the Virginia Code. The Virginia Department of Health notes that medical examiner case information is confidential, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner may release only the cause and manner of death once its investigation concludes.
BearCat Vehicle Struck, No Other Injuries Reported
No one else was hurt during the incident, according to police cited by Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. Multiple rounds struck the SWAT team's armored BearCat vehicle, while no other vehicles or nearby homes were reported damaged, the outlet reported.
The scale of the overnight response reflected the seriousness with which James City County treated the barricade. The department's patrol division, SWAT team, crisis negotiation team, chaplains, special response team, drone team and criminal investigations detectives were all involved, according to Daily Press. The James City County Fire Department, Newport News Police Department and Virginia State Police also assisted at the scene.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, which also offers an online crisis chat through 988lifeline.org.
