MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (WHDH) — A man who opened fire on officers trying to serve an arrest warrant in Middleborough Wednesday morning, prompting an hourslong standoff and a shelter-in-place order for neighbors, took his own life, authorities said.
About seven hours after police say he fired at police with a long gun, 38-year-old John Mann was found dead in the home’s kitchen after apparently killing himself, according to Middleboro Police Chief Joseph Perkins.
Breaking suspect in middleboro found dead in the kitchen after taking his own life #7News pic.twitter.com/DHDxgUPVby
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Middleborough police officers and deputies assigned to the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department were serving an arrest warrant at 469 Wareham St. about 9:30 a.m. when Mann opened fire, Perkins said. None of the officers were struck.
Police pulled back, took cover and established a perimeter around the house as Mann barricaded himself inside. The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team was called to the scene.
Negotiators tried unsuccessfully to establish contact with Mann. Officers who later went inside found him dead. Perkins described him as a “fugitive from justice.” It’s not clear what he was wanted for.
A rifle and two handguns were recovered from inside the home and seized as evidence, police said.
Multiple tactical vehicles could be seen surveying the property, providing cover for heavily-armed police officers, and ripping the doors and windows out of the house.
Residents of several homes were asked to shelter in place. Route 28 was closed in both directions between Interstate 495 and Spruce Street and motorists were urged to avoid the area.
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz commended the efforts of law enforcement and their ability to keep the neighborhood safe.
“You have individuals such as this, who are wanted by police, and pulling firearms and discharging them at men and woman who are trying to do their job,” Cruz said. “They did a remarkable job in a very stressful situation throughout the course of the day.”
Perkins said crews exercised extreme caution following the death of Yarmouth Sgt. Sean Gannon, who was killed while serving a warrant in Barnstable.
“The district attorney and I were talking about how eerily similar the circumstances in the situation were to what happened in Barnstable,” Perkins said.
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the home was still being searched.
Cruz’s office is leading an investigation into the incident.
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