Man shoots self in car as police respond to disturbance
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - A PSP SERT Bearcat ascends Fairway Drive in Fountain Springs on Oct. 1, 2020.
*Editor’s Note: We typically would not report on a suicide, though, considering the vast amount of law enforcement responding to this scene,as far as East Union Township, and including the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team and Trooper 1 aircraft, this stands as an exception.
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – A man’s suicide-by-gunfire as police responded to the scene of a disturbance in this Butler Township village drew a heavy police presence Thursday morning.
Butler Township Police told the Sentinel they were called around 11am to a home on Scenic Avenue for reports of a disturbance.
Chief Ed Tarantelli said police arrived on scene and heard a gunshot come from inside a vehicle in the driveway.
At that point, officers backed off, requesting backup.
Around 1:00pm, the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team arrived at the scene with a Lenco Bearcat armored vehicle.
SERT members approached the car in the driveway, finding the only occupant of the vehicle, a 39-year-old male, deceased inside.
Fairway Drive was closed at Country Club Road for the duration of the incident, reopening around 2:00pm. At no point was Country Club Road closed.
Tarantelli said the incident is isolated, there is no danger to the public, and the scene is being processed as a crime scene.
Police officers from Shenandoah, Ashland, Mahanoy City, Mahanoy Township, West Mahanoy Township, Frackville, and East Union Township responded to assist Butler Township Police.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24-hour) 1-800-273-8255 | Crisis Text Line (24-hour) Text “PA” to 741741
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