Atwater man dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound after standoff, police say

A 26-year-old Atwater man died Sunday morning, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, following a six-hour standoff with law enforcement.

Atwater police responded around midnight Saturday to a home in the 1900 block of Chatham Place after calls were placed to 911 regarding an armed man making threats, Lt. Samuel Joseph told the Sun-Star.

“He was possibly suicidal and possibly intoxicated and psychologically distraught over a recent relationship ending,” Joseph said. “He made statements that caused us to be concerned he was setting a trap for law enforcement if they entered the home.”

The man’s name has not been released.

The Merced County sheriff’s SWAT team responded to the scene as a safety precaution.

Authorities surrounded the home, alerted neighbors to stay inside and made numerous attempts to contact the man inside the home.

“They called inside many times, but didn’t get a response,” Joseph said. “Eventually the sheriff’s SWAT team entered the home and found the subject had passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot.”

The standoff ended around 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Police said the man’s body was found in the restroom, and the gun he used to kill himself was still in his hand.

No other injuries were reported.

“We’re very grateful to the sheriff’s SWAT team, Sheriff (Vern) Warnke and Capt. (BJ) Jones for their time and assistance,” Joseph said.

This story was originally published January 11, 2015 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Atwater man dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound after standoff, police say."