Man kills himself in front of police at Lower Allen park www.privateofficer.com

Lower Allen PA July 28 2013

Despite desperate attempts by police to talk him out of it, a man committed suicide by shooting himself in front of officers Friday afternoon at Lower Allen Township's community park.
Lieutenant Leon Crone of the township police said the man, whom he did not identify, was located in the park just after 12:30 p.m. Police were alerted after the man called someone else about his plan to kill himself, and that person contacted police, Crone said.
Officers arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of being alerted, he said. They began negotiating with the man immediately, Crone said. He said those talks went on for about an hour before personnel from the Cumberland County Special Response Team arrived and took over the negotiations.
However, the man, who was sitting in a black sedan in a parking lot just off the park's Lisburn Road entrance, shot himself about 15 minutes after the SRT team arrived, Crone said.
Police didn't fire a shot during the incident, he said. They broke into the car immediately after the man shot himself, but lifesaving efforts failed, Crone said.
Police stated in a news release the man had been "despondent over a relationship." He was 25 years old and carried a Virgina address. Police were not releasing his name out of respect for his family.
Patrons were in the park when the incident began, Crone said, and they were either evacuated or taken to a spot remote from the scene of the confrontation. No one else was injured, Crone said.
He said further information was to be released by the coroner's office.
Police and coroner's personnel remained at the cordoned-off park at mid-afternoon. The victim's black sedan was still there as well, parked less than 50 yards from the kiddie playground. Crone estimated that the park would be reopened by late afternoon.
This post has been updated to include additional information from a Lower Allen Township police statement.