Suicidal Man Shot, Killed After Swinging Gun At Officer: Police

GREENPORT, NY — A tense gun standoff in Greenport led to a suicidal man being shot and killed by police after he swung a gun at an officer, authorities said.

According to Suffolk County Police homicide squad detectives, the incident took place beginning at noon on Thursday on Middle Road in Greenport, when Southold Police responded to a 911 call from a concerned individual who said that his friend, Robert Myers, 63, was at home at the location and seemed depressed, suicidal and had guns.

Southold police officers determined that Myers had barricaded himself in his apartment and had guns, police said.

Officers set up a perimeter and called the Suffolk County Police Department's hostage negotiation team and the emergency service section to assist; the hostage negotiation team established phone contact with Myers and attempted to negotiate his safe surrender, police said.

During the nearly three hours of negotiations, Myers fired numerous shots within his apartment and several shots at officers outside as well as firing at a police armored vehicle; police did not return fire, authorities said.

Suffolk County Police Aviation also responded to assist at the scene, police said.

After ongoing negotiations, Myers agreed to surrender and come out without weapons; however, he exited his apartment at 4:20 p.m. with a long gun and swung it in the direction of an emergency service officer who then fired his weapon, striking Myers in the chest, police said.

Myers was transported via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The investigation is continuing.

Patch file photo.