Boston police de-escalate a potential officer-involved suicide incident and save a man

DORCHESTER – Officers with the Boston Police Department successfully defused a potential suicide-by-officer situation in the early hours of Saturday morning and saved the life of a 24-year-old Dorchester man who had threatened to shoot himself.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 5, District C-11 officers responded to the activation of a shot spotter at 216 Westville St. When they arrived at the intersection of Geneva Ave. and Westville St., they noticed a man walking away from the scene.

Despite attempts to contact him, the man ignored the officers and continued walking.

As officers approached, they saw the handle of a gun sticking out of the man's jacket pocket.

They drew their weapons and ordered him to stop and show his hands.

The man then became emotional and expressed suicidal thoughts.

Officers recognized the seriousness of the situation and began using de-escalation techniques.

During the argument, the man pulled the gun out of his pocket and pointed it at his own head.

Officers continued their de-escalation efforts and eventually convinced him to drop the firearm.

He was taken into custody without further incident and was treated at a local hospital.

The seized weapon, a Glock 19 Gen 5 without a serial number, was equipped with an extended magazine that contained one round in the chamber and 25 additional 9mm rounds.

The man is scheduled to appear in Dorchester District Court on charges including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of a large capacity feeding device.