Man Dead After Police Standoff in Jamaica Plain

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA — After a standoff that lasted more than an hour, the man police suspected of shooting at them and then running into a building is dead. And now, District Attorney Rachel Rollins said she's investigating just how that happened.

Police initially responded to a report of a domestic disturbance call Saturday night around 10 p.m., said Rollins.

"[It evolved into a standoff situation in the building which is used as a bed and breakfast, and ended with the death of an individual who lived at the dwelling and assisted with the day to day operations of the property," she said.

When police arrived, a man reportedly fired shots at police officers and then ran into a home at 21 Wyman Street.

According to scanner radio reports, police had surrounded the building, which was being used as a bed and breakfast, and were looking for the man they indicated may still be barricaded in an apartment inside the building. There was a heavy police presence near the area as officers continued to work to find the suspect around 11 p.m.

Witnesses in the neighborhood also described a major police response on Wyman Street in the area of JFK Elementary School and said officers were near the building with guns drawn. Police had blocked off the area and were directing people to stay away, calling it an active crime scene.

Police were also preventing cars from going down Chestnut and Wyman streets.

Early unofficial scanner reports indicated police were calling in a negotiations team and snipers.

Someone in the building reportedly called police to tell them they found a gun wrapped in a towel in a room on the second floor. Officers asked that person to throw the gun - still wrapped in the towel- out the window, according to the scanner report.

Police called in buses and evacuated the building of more than 20 residents, including at least one family with small children.

At one point, the man police believed was the shooter, broke a window in the building and waved to officers. One of the officers discharged his weapon.

Later, the suspect was found dead.

It's not clear if he was killed by the officer or if he shot himself with another weapon.

Rollins commended the Boston Police Department and their coordinated multi-unit
and jurisdictional response during what she described as a "dangerous and tense incident"

"Any loss of life is a tragedy and this too is the case here. As the process to notify family members continues, we offer our condolences to his loved ones," Rollins said in a statement.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).